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“MESSENGER SERIES,” 


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No. '5^ 



A Tale of the Days of 






J uLi AN THE Apostate. 


ABRIDGED FROM THE ITALIAN OF 


FATHER JOHN JOSEPH FRANCO, S. J. 






f 

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by 
PETER F. CUNNINGHAM & SON, 
in the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C. 


CONTENTS. 


\ 1 PAGE. 

Introductory Preface. 5 

I. The School at Athens 11 

II. Prosperity and Misfortune 23 

III. The Persecutors and the Persecuted 36 

IV. The Camp before Tijrin 61 

V. The Secret Mission.. \ 79 

\ 

VI. The 'Veteran 97 

VII. The Sacred Liturgy..! 116 

VIII. The Secret 130 

IX. A Bold Resolve... 1 148 

X. The Rescue [ 165 

XI. From Ctesiphon to Rome.... 174 

XII. Rome 184 

XIII. The Return of Liberius to Rome 193 

XIV. Rebellion and Flight 201 

XV. A Visit to St. Hilary.. 210 

XVI. Ideas of St. Hilary 220 

XVII. Preparations for War. 229 

XVIII. From Bad to Worse 246 

XIX. Vain Attempts at Perversion 266 

XX. Imperial Strategy 277 

XXL St. Artemius 291 

XXII. Triumph of the Faith 308 

XXIII. Satanic Hate 324 

XXIV. “Thou hast Conquered, Galilean!” 345 

XXV. Fifty Years Later 360 










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TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 


It is a common saying, but as true as.it is trite, 
that history is continually repeating itself; and if 
there is any department of history in which this 
truth absolutely forces itself upon our minds, it is 
certainly the record of the successive wars waged 
by the world against the kingdom of Christ And 
it is no wonder that it is so ; for whatever may be 
the particular causes or circumstances which give 
the peculiar tone and coloring to each local or 
general revolt against the authority of God and 
of His Church, the spirit which animates them 
all is ever the same. The same old enemy always 
shows himself at last, in spite of all disguises. It 
is still the old conflict between good and evil, 
between obedience and lawlessness, between the 
Church and the world, between God and Satan. 
So the bitter persecution which is now weighing 
upon the Church, has its prototype in the past. 
Those who have followed up its workings and 
studied its spirit, will easily recognize in the treach- 
erous, hypocritical, and truculent persecutions of 
the Fourth Century, the model which has been so 
faithfully copied in our own day. 


6 Ti^anslator s Preface. 

Father Franco has admirably brought out this 
parallelism in his Tigranate,* a work equally 
remarkable for deep and accurate historical re- 
search, for intimate acquaintance with the spirit 
and manners of the times which it represents, and 
for well-sustained interest as a narrative. This is in 
no sense a work of fiction ; the characters and inci- 
dents are strictly historical. Among other author- 
ities, it will be sufficient to quote Ammianus Mar- 
cellinus, Zosimus, Theodoret, St. Gregory Nazian- 
zen, and the writings of Julian himself, besides 
the works of the many historical and literary 
celebrities mentioned in the course of the story. 

The book which is now offered to English 
readers is not a complete translation, but an 
abridgment, which appeared originally, as a serial, 
in the Messenger of the Sacred Heart. It is 
believed, however, that a sufficient continuity and 
fulness of plot has been preserved to keep up the 
interest of the narrative and to carry out the lead- 
ing purpose of the author. 

At the time of our narrative, the Church had 
just come forth from her baptism of blood. During 
three centuries of cruel persecution, all the strength 
of a world-ruling empire, powerful by its victories, 
by the splendor of a civilization which had reached 
its zenith in the Augustan age, by the glories of 
poetry, eloquence and the arts, had been spent 
upon the new-born Church; the purple of the 

* Tigranate. Eacconto Storico dei tempi di Giuliano Apostata. 
Del P. Gio. Giuseppe Franco, D. C, D. G. Eome, 1867. 


Translator's Preface. 7 

Caesars was dyed with the blood of those countless 
heroes of the faith whose names adorn her glorious 
martyr-roll. But she had come forth from the 
struggle with all the strength, freshness, and vigor 
of unfailing life — a life which the world can never 
destroy, because the Church is the Body of Christ, 
and Christ is God. 

Constantine had crushed the power of the last 
Pagan emperor, in that great battle on the banks 
of the Tiber, which has been called the Actium 
of Christianity ; and the Religion of Christ, 
ascending the imperial throne with the first Chris- 
tian Emperor, had set the cross on the Caesar’s 
crown. But though the era of blood seemed to 
have ended, yet the Church was not to enjoy 
repose. Her Divine Founder had left her, as an 
everlasting legacy, the perfect imitation of His own 
life, which was one long martyrdom, from the 
rejection, the neglect, and sufferings of the stable 
of Bethlehem, to the derision, the blasphemies, 
and the ignominious Cross of Calvary. 

Under the immediate successors of Constantine, 
the Church was harassed by a new system of 
veiled and perfidious persecutions, which have a 
striking counterpart in those that are now afflict- 
ing the successor of Liberius, at the hands of the 
imitators of Constantins and Julian the Apostate. 
Constantins, the second master of the Lower 
Empire, was a man of weak and undecided cha- 
racter, wholly possessed by an overweening self- 
conceit and a strange mania for mixing in theo- 


8 Translator' s Preface. 

logical discussions and giving the law to the 
Councils of the Church. The corrupt ministers and 
Arian bishops, who ruled his court, humored this 
weakness, and thus easily made of him a pliant tool 
to work their will against the orthodox clergy and 
the faithful Catholics; and the Church, which had 
nothing to dread in an open war with paganism, 
had everything to fear when given up to the whims 
and the artifices of a corrupt court and a crowned 
theologian. Hollow professions of friendly regard 
and filial submission were lavished upon the Roman 
Pontiff whilst the snares were being laid in which 
he was to be entrapped ; the decrees of Constan- 
tius’s Councils were sent to Rome for the approval 
of the Pope, whose action was contemptuously 
disregarded whenever it did not fall in with the 
Emperor's views ; the Catholic bishops were met 
with hypocritical smiles and feigned reverence, 
when the edicts of their banishment had been 
already signed by the very hand which was held 
out to them in cordial greeting. “Impious Prince," 
wrote the fearless Hilary of Poitiers, “you receive 
the bishops with a kiss, like that with which Judas 
betrayed Christ; whilst you bow your head to 
receive their blessing, your foot is raised to trample 
on their faith !" Not even the sacred person of 
the Sovereign Pontiff was safe from the tyrant's 
fury; Liberius was sent into exile after an inter- 
view at Milan, in which the passionate invectives 
and overbearing tyranny of the Emperor, on the 
one hand, and the firm and dignified reserve of the 


9 


Ti^anslator' s Preface. 

Pontiff on the other, vividly recall another meeting 
between a Pope and an Emperor, at Fontainebleau, 
at a later day. The Catholic bishops were not 
always able to escape the well-laid snares prepared 
for them; and imperial flattery and court dignities, 
backed by Byzantine gold, seduced many whom 
violent measures would but have strengthened in 
their faith. To this time may be applied the words 
of a recent Catholic writer, concerning a later 
period : — “ When the shepherds of the flock, the 
guardians of the public morals, had themselves 
turned aside into unhealthy pastures, what would 
become of the people whom they led ? As the 
roots of faith began to decay, and lost their hold 
on the hearts of the people, Christian life began to 
wither away; morality became corrupt.’* The 
seeds of new heresies, carefully fostered by impe- 
rial patronage and doctrinal dissensions, sprang up 
in all parts of the empire, which thus became ripe 
for the revolts, the fresh persecutions, and the 
temporary restoration of paganism, which desolated 
the vineyard of the Lord during the succeeding 
reign. After a life spent in holding councils 
without the sanction of the Holy See, in falsifying 
the decrees of those which had been legitimately 
convoked, in banishing the lawful pastors of the 
Catholic flock, and in strengthening the position 
of the Arian heresy, Constantins left the Roman 
purple to his nephew Julian, whom he had 
called to share it with him soon after the begin- 
ning of his reign. 


lo Translator s Preface. 

The character of Julian and of his persecution are 
thus given by a recent Church historian: “Julian 
was much too keen-sighted and crafty, and too well 
acquainted with the history of the Church he hated, 
to renew the open persecutions in which his prede- 
cessors, from Nero to Diocletian, had met with 
such signal failure. Ridicule, public contempt, 
derision and satire, were the chief weapons he 
deemed of avail against a Church which torrents 
of blood had not overwhelmed. The weapon of 
sarcasm was shivered in the hands of Julian; and 
the philosophers of the eighteenth century, who so 
carefully gathered up the scattered fragments, have 
met with the same success as the Apostate. They 
fondly imagined themselves the inventors of a new 
system ; and their invention is reduced to a pitiful 
plagiarism from a persecuting master of the Lower 
Empire.” 

Julian was bent on restoring the worship of the 
gods of Homer and Virgil ; and the state of Roman 
society, at the death of Constantins, was certainly 
such as to give strong grounds for his sanguine 
hopes. He labored to foment divisions between the 
Catholics and the Arians, to weaken them by means 
of each other, and then to crush both under the 
weight of public contempt. As a necessary part 
of his plans for throwing the faithful off their guard 
and deluding them into a belief in the sincerity of 
his professions of toleration and forbearance, he 
never appeared himself in the odious character of 
a persecutor, but encouraged the pagans to harass 


II 


Timislator's Preface. 

the Christians in every way. His specious edict 
granting universal freedom of religious worship, 
did for a time lull the fears and suspicions of 
many, but they were soon startled out of their 
fancied security, and learned that the boasted toler- 
ation was meant for the worshippers of idols, and 
that if no public edict condemned them to death, 
the Christians were no less surely marked out for 
secret and indirect persecution and ultimate destruc- 
tion. The heathens were loaded with favors and 
held all the offices at court ; the Christians re- 
ceived but disdain, vexation and disgrace. The 
clergy were gradually deprived of all their rights 
and privileges, and even of the necessary means of 
support; the churches were stripped of their costly 
furniture, that the temples of the idols might be suit- 
ably adorned ; the weak were seduced by promises 
of wealth and honors ; apostasy was the avenue to 
every preferment, a cloak for every crime. 

But Julian understood that all his well-laid plans 
would fail, so long as the youth of the Empire was 
taught by Christian teachers. By an imperial edict 
Christian professors were forbidden to teach in 
public or in private, and thus Christian parents 
could no longer send their children to the schools 
of literature. The Apostate had evidently left 
nothing undone that a truly Satanic hate could 
suggest for the uprooting of Christianity; and 
every act of conscientious resistance to these unjust 
laws, every profession of fidelity to God and reli- 
gion, was made a State offence. 


12 


T^^anslators Preface. 

But, as the fierce assaults of the Pagan perse- 
cutors, so the insidious attacks of the heretic and 
the apostate are powerless against the Church 
which God has set up in the world to rule and 
to teach. 

A mere outline of the policy adopted in our own 
days, as most available against the Church, will 
suffice to show its great likeness to that which has 
been sketched above. The failure of the bloody 
work w^hich followed the great religious revolt of 
the sixteenth century, taught the more astute legis- 
lators of a later day the same lesson which the 
tyrants of the Low^er Empire had learned before. 
What are the weapons now used in the war of 
extermination which the powers of hell have 
undertaken against the Church of God ? They 
have tried to do their work in the dark ; and 
accordingly the duty of organizing and marshal- 
ling the forces has been entrusted to the secret 
societies, whose ready tools are the sovereigns 
and the leaders of public opinion who now sway 
the destinies of the world. An impious and he- 
retical press has been instituted to poison the pub- 
lic mind with false principles, to misrepresent the 
teaching and practice of the Church, and to glorify 
the supremacy of the State, an impersonal, ephe- 
meral being, which may be the Czar to-day, the 
Commune to-morrow, a puppet-king or an un- 
scrupulous minister, a military usurper or a venal 
congress. 

A materialistic and irreligious education is en- 


Translator's Preface, 13 

forced, to sow the seeds of false doctrine, and 
to destroy all belief in everything spiritual in 
heaven or on earth. The poison of liberalism has 
weakened the vigor of men’s characters, and left 
in many souls the blighting indifferentism and 
lukewarmness destructive of all faith and honesty. 
Tlie old policy of Julian is copied to the letter. 
Catholics are to be made to forget their history ; 
they are to be dazzled by the boasted freedom and 
liberality of this century of independent thought 
and religious liberty. There is to be no more 
distinction of Catholic and Protestant, Jew or Infi- 
del ; no more persecution for conscience’ sake. 
“The rack, the gibbet, the fagot, and the hurdle 
are all to be banished out of sight and forgotten, 
the narrow lines of prejudice softened down.” 
Meanwhile the Catholic press is gagged; the 
churches and religious orders are stripped of their 
property for the benefit of heretics and apostates ; 
the legislators of the nations make and enforce 
oppressive laws which contradict the fundamental 
principles of their State Constitutions, and in virtue 
of which the bishops and priests who deem it just 
to obey God rather than man, are subjected to 
crushing fines and driven from their sees, or 
languish in d.ungeons ; the Sovereign Pontiff him- 
self is a prisoner in his own palace; and all this 
amid the cold silence and stolid .indifference of a 
venal press which sets itself up as the vindicator 
of human rights, but which Father Faber well 
characterized as “ a powerful, tyrannical, and tri- 


1 4 Translator' s Preface. 

umphant scoundrelism.*’ And if the Church raises 
its voice to utter the warning cry that Liberalism 
is false, the same unprincipled press is ever ready 
to thunder out its indignant protest against this 
renewal of mediaeval despotism, and drown or dis- 
tort the utterances of Christ’s Vicar if it cannot dis- 
prove them. 

Another delusion of the day is the high 
sounding principle: “A free Church in a free 
State;” ‘'A pernicious delusion,” says the illus- 
trious Archbishop of Westminster, “which has 
blinded and seduced many better minds, resting 
on the false assumption that the two societies are 
perfectly free and independent one of another, 
which is absolutely true of the Church, but abso- 
lutely false of the State.” Truly interpreted, in the 
light of its recent applications, it means that “ the 
State should tahe from the Church all its means 
of subsistence, and retain absolute control over it; 
and what is calmly described as ‘merely attempt- 
ing to set bounds to ecclesiastical power,’ has been 
shown in its true character by acts so senseless, 
that neither Domitian nor Julian ever dreamed of 
attempting them.” 

But to inform the public mind with such princi- 
ples, it must first have been fitly prepared ; the 
shallow pretensions and perpetual contradictions 
offered to the readers of this generation could not 
easily dislodge sound principles, or mislead a logi- 
cal thinker. Besides, they require the perversion 
of the heart, as well as of the intellect ; and this 


Translato 7 ^'s Preface. 1 5 

ground too must have been made ready. The 
weeds of human error are of slow growth in a well 
cultivated garden. Accordingly the education of 
youth must pass into the hands of the State, “We 
will force your children to go to our schools and 
receive the education we give them, which you 
call godless,’* says a leading scientific liberal in 
England, a faithful interpreter of the spirit of 
modern liberal legislation ; and a leading English 
liberal journal tells us what sort of education our 
youth may expect from the State Universities: 
“ All hinderance to the teaching of infidelity has 
been taken away, and that is the great danger of 
the future.” The Church has consistently taken 
a firm stand against this system of one-sided, mis- 
directed education, which can do nothing but 
serious harm to the youth of our public schools. 
She knows that alone, education cannot stand ; 
without religion it must inevitably lead to atheism 
or fanaticism, to materialism or to utter infidelity. 
“ Education without religion,” says a writer in the 
Catholic World, “is as treacherous and frail a sup- 
port to civilization as the reed that pierces the 
hand of him who leans upon it.” The result of 
modern liberal legislation has been to deprive the 
nations of the only influence which could direct, 
purify, and elevate their legislative action, and save 
it from the disastrous backward step it has taken 
towards anarchy and paganism. 

If we look about us, to-day. upon the state of 
the world, such as modern ideas have made it, we 


1 6 Translator s Preface, 

see the result of three centuries of revolt against 
the Church. Men have shut their eyes against 
the only light in which the natural and the divine 
blend into harmony; they have violently divorced 
the temporal and the spiritual ; wrested from the 
Vicar of Christ his lawful possessions, and rejected 
his authority in matters of the highest importance to 
the welfare of nations. The morality of the Gospel 
is ignored, and the abomination of desolation 
triumphs in the Holy City. But in the midst of 
this antichristian revolution which is bearing away 
all the old landmarks of Christian civilization and 
threatening to engulf the world in utter ruin, the 
children of the Church have nothing to fear. They 
have seen generation after generation rushing 
blindly on to defeat and destruction, forgetful of 
the might which has withered every hand and 
blasted every power that ever moved against the 
kingdom of God. Through the gloom and desola- 
tion that have covered the earth, like a pall, they 
see the majestic form of the imperishable Church, 
rising calm and fearless above the storm ; they 
hear the cheering voice of him who sways Christ’s 
spiritual sceptre in the,Eternal City: “ Fear not ; 
stand and see the great wonders of the Lord, which 
he will do this day.’* They know that the king- 
dom of Christ has outlived fiercer storms and 
triumphed over stronger foes ; that no earthly 
power can check its divine growth, no persecution, 
however deadly, stay its conquering march or mar 
its heavenly beauty. Patient and prayerful, they 


17 


Translator s Preface, 

leave to Providence the times, and the seasons, 
and the manner of the triumph, confident that this 
long night of suffering and sorrow will only serve 
to make the dawn of peace and victory more bright 
and glorious. The rock on which Christ founded 
His Church will crush and break in pieces every 
power that hurls itself against it, and itself shall 
stand forever. 

Since the historical parallelism has been so per- 
fect until now, it is not impossible that it may con- 
tinue to the end. Let the Prussian and Italian* 
Julians of to-day remember that their model and 
master died upon a Persian battle-field, amid 
defeat and humiliation, crying with impotent rage 
and despair: Thou hast conquered, Galilean! 



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TIGRANES 


HISTORICAL SCENES AND SKETCHES OF THE 
FOURTH CENTURY OF THE CHURCH. 


I. 

THE SCHOOL AT ATHENS. 

^ THENS was styled the eye of the world. 

Reclining luxuriously upon a gentle slope 
Ml clothed in a perennial robe of green, where 

^ ever freshly bloomed the olive, the vitex 

and the laurel, she seemed to rest her head upon 
the proud Acropolis, fanned by the cool breezes, 
while the sea rolled in through three great gates 
to kiss her feet with its silvery waves. It is true 
indeed that no longer was the heavy beat of the 
hammer heard in the Phalerean arsenals, fashion- 
ing the swords and breastplates for Attic legions ; 
nor were the dockyards of Munichian Minerva 
busy making ready the triremes which should 
carry terror into all Asia, to Egypt and Sicily; 
but she was seemingly satisfied to rest idly 
upon her ancient renown, the. accumulated spoils 

II 


12 


Tigraiies. 

of victory, and the never-waning celebrity of her 
schools of learning. The hills around, smiling in 
the green gladness of their vineyards, were dotted 
with rustic cottages and villas, connected by broad 
avenues of plane-trees, revealing through their 
beautiful vistas a vast garden, which looked as if 
it had been created to protect in its friendly silence 
the venerated sanctuary of Grecian wisdom. And 
though the fragments were rolling down from the 
time-eaten walls, once rebuilt by Conon, into the 
groves of fig-trees below, yet the graceful statues 
still stood unmoved upon their wonderful carya- 
tides ; so did the shrine raised by Theseus to the 
memory of the dead of Marathon, and the dipteral 
temple to Olympian Jove, whose magnificent pro- 
portions spanned sixty pairs of stately columns, 
the noblest temple to the king of gods and of men 
that stood in all Greece ; and there was the temple 
of Victory, with the grand works of art reared by 
Pericles upon the hill fortified by Cecrops ; and 
above all in renown towered the Parthenon, the 
supreme effort of Grecian art, a lasting challenge 
and source of envy to all future ages. 

In the Pnyx, that political forum, second only 
to the Roman forum, flanked on all sides by 
palaces and temples, still remained the seats of 
the Archons, cut out of the live rock, and the 
rostra — if the expression may be allowed in this 
application — of Demosthenes, from which famous 
orators, not less fluent, if less eloquent, than those 
of old, held forth on topics of municipal interest. 


The School at Athens. 


13 


Nor were the great theatres silent. The spectators 
crowded one another there, sometimes to glut 
their savage thirst for blood by the slaughter of 
wild beasts, — a new kind of rage borrowed from 
the Roman people, — sometimes to applaud the 
readings of the Sophists, or the verses of the poets, 
a pleasure inherited from the ancient auditors of 
Herodotus and Sophocles. 

This was the peerless glory of Athens — her 
supremacy in the fine-arts and the recognition, as 
of old, of her sovereign sway in philosophy and 
eloquence. And so the Academy and the Lyceum 
of Xenocrates and Plato were daily thronged by 
the youth, gathered thither from the whole Roman 
world, whilst the Porch resounded with philosophi- 
cal discussions as in the days of Zeno. Philoso- 
phers abounded ; some in the philosopher’s cloak 
of the severe Aristotelian cut, others with long, 
unkempt beards after the fashion of the Cynics, 
and others still with the affected look of inspiration 
peculiar to the Neoplatonists, and all going their 
several ways, surrounded by parties of their fol- 
lowers, to the lecture-halls, where their lectures 
were heard and applauded by their numerous dis- 
ciples, all standing in reverent silence while the 
master spoke. 

In this home of all learning the lectures on 
Rhetoric were the most numerously attended, for 
the school could then boast of the eloquence of the 
great champion of decaying paganism, the Sophist 
Libanius, who had lately come thither from Con- 


stantinople. But even more renowned than he, 
and justly so, was Proeresius, a fervent Christian, 
who had in his old age received, from the descend- 
ants of Cicero, a statue bearing the inscription: 

Rome, the queen of the world, to the prince of 
eloquence/* 

At the period which opens our narrative, among 
the many students who had flocked to Athens to 
drink at its seemingly exhaustless fount of learn- 
ing, one was particularly noticeable. Young, 
learned, a ready talker, generous in his friendship, 
he was courted by the Sophists, and, though a 
mere scholar, was attended like some divinity. 
This was Julian, grand-nephew of Constantine, and 
the legitimate heir to the first throne in the world. 
In fact, Constantius, his uncle, called him to Milan, 
not indeed through any sympathv, but at the insti- 
gation of the Empress Eusebia, to adopt him as 
sharer of the imperial purple. Among the friends 
and confidants whom Julian selected to accompany 
him to Italy, was a youth named F'lavius Tigranes, 
who had come from Antioch but two months 
before to pursue his studies in Athens. 

Before setting out with them for Milan, we can- 
not forbear asking the reader to linger a moment 
to take a parting glance at the famous Athenian 
school, which had many points of resemblance to 
the Universities that have succeeded it, even down 
to our own day. What irresistibly holds our atten- 
tion at the first glance, is the strange mingling of 
so many diverse elements in the vast throngs that 


The School at Athens. 


15 


formed the myriad student-population. Here were 
youths from neighboring states and from remote 
shores, bringing with them every variety of dispo- 
sition and temperament and even of dress, most 
of them intent upon dissipation and luxury of life 
far more than upon study ; there were many un- 
believers among them, some were idolaters, not a 
few were Christians. Among the latter were two 
whose names and history are too glorious and im- 
portant in the Church’s annals to be dismissed 
without more than a passing notice. One of them 
was Basil, a native of Cappadocia, though of an 
Armenian family; wealthy and of noble birth, a 
tall and graceful Pgure, wdth a manly countenance 
browned under an Eastern sky, marked his exterior, 
while the ardent spirit within spoke through the 
piercing eye, which most frequently seemed to 
temper its fire in the longing glances fixed upon 
heaven, as of one who has higher aspirations than 
earth can satisfy. He seemed to be about twenty- 
six years of age. and the junior of his friend Gre- 
gory of Nazianzum. Gregory was of middle 
stature, of light csmplexion, in manner, affiible and 
courteous to a degree which might have suggested 
an over-refined nicety but for the straight and 
bushy eyebrows, which gave a serious and manly 
shade to his countenance. The two friends shared 
the same lodgings, w^hich they made the home of 
retirement, piety and learning, and of the most 
noble and divine friendship recorded in the annals 
of Christian charity. 


1 6 Tigranes. 

Gregory had already been attending the schools 
for some years. The incomparable genius of the 
young student won the homage even of his 
teachers, who seemed to look upon him rather as 
a fellow-worker than as a pupil. He had heard of 
the reputation of Basil, who had also won high 
distinction in the schools of Asia, and v/as now 
coming to give the last polish to his education in 
the great University of Athens. At their first 
meeting, these two great souls understood each 
other and rushed together by a mutual attraction, 
and the bonds of that beautiful friendship, linked 
together by the Divine Hand, were never after 
broken. 

There was a custom prevalent among the Athe- 
nian students of that early period, which has not 
yet wholly gone out of fashion with the University 
youth, and which consisted in a species of hazmg. 
Each new-comer in turn had to undergo the ordeal 
of some very rude and boisterous treatment, even 
through the public streets of the city, until the 
party chose to break up at the public baths.* 

Gregory determined to save his friend from this 
annoying ceremony of inauguration. He repre- 
sented to his fellow-students that Basil was no 

* On the first appearance of a new-comer, he is led in solemn 
procession through the forum to the baths. The ceremony is 
somewhat in this wise ; those who are appointed file off by twos 
before him, and on reaching the baths, close their mock solem- 
nity by yelling and leaping about him as though they had all 
gone stai-k mad, etc. S. Greg. Naxz. Or. 43, Basilii Laudes^ 
n. 16, opp. t. Ill, p. 516. 


The School at Athens, 


17 


longer a wild young man like themselves, but a 
learned pilgrim, who was coming to test their pro- 
fessors of science, and that if they would but wait 
a few days they might satisfy themselves, by hear- 
ing his discourses and disputations that he was no 
mere student. By such arguments, and still more 
by his personal influence, he obtained from his 
companions that Basil should, though contrary to 
immemorial usage, be dispensed from the annoy- 
ance of such a reception. Of course Basil was 
proportionably grateful to him for this favor, which 
did but increase tenfold their mutual confidence. 
Side by side, they heard the same professors, save 
only when Basil devoted some additional hours to 
the profane sciences of Geometry, Physics and 
Astronomy, whilst Gregory gave his attention to 
Belles-lettres and Sacred Literature; and their 
fime was one, so that throughout all the East the 
Athenian schools were never mentioned without 
some allusion to the -two friends, reverenced by 
the Christians, and respected by even the misbe- 
lievers. Never in life was that sacred tie broken 
which had been knit by the Holy Ghost; but 
when at last it was snap'ped asunder by death, 
Gregory remembered, at the tomb of his departed 
friend, the happy days at Athens, and paid them 
the tribute of warm tears of affection. 

Gregory, now a prelate of the Church, and 
venerable by age, spoke to the Christian peo- 
ple who had gathered around the remains of 
their bishop: “We were together at Athens in 


1 8 Tigranes. 

early youth, both eager in the pursuit of what 
most awakens jealousy — of science. And yet no 
thought of envy ever came near to us, we were 
fired only by an honorable emulation. There was 
but one kind of dispute, which often arose between 
us, a strife to procure each for the other some 
new honor, for each esteemed the other s glory his 
own. 

“ The same ardor fired both our hearts in the 
pursuit of one object; for together we looked 
upward to a heavenly goal, and strove by a com- 
mon effort to wrest our hearts from the hold of 
earthly ties, before death should break those bonds 
asunder. The Sacred Volume was our guide and 
guardian, and mutual example the incentive to 
keep its law; and — may I not be allowed without 
suspicion of pride to say it ? — each one looked to 
the other for the standard and rule of his own 
actions. Our society was made up, not of the 
immoral and corrupt, but of the most orderly; not 
of the riotous and debauched, but of the retiring 
and modest; for we well knew that it is far easier 
to catch the infection bred by the wicked or the 
weak, than to impart moral healthfulness to others. 
We knew two streets, and no more ; the one we 
trod on a noble mission, though the other was 
honorable too. The former led to the sacred pre- 
cincts of the house of God and to the priests, the 
latter to the schools and to our masters. The 
other streets, thronged by the seekers after plea- 
sure, sports, debauchery and crime, we had left 


The School at Athens. 


19 


altogether to those who loved such things. Whilst 
others boasted loudly of the glory Qf country, 
of ancestry, or of deeds of personal prowess, it was 
our greatest glory to be known as Christians. 
And so, Athens, which has ever been for the 
great majority of the young a sink of corruption 
and spiritual death, for us, protected as we were 
by the strong safeguard of our mutual friendship, 
was not only harmless, but even afforded us occa- 
sions of advancing and' strengthening ourselves in 
virtue.’' 

Julian would have given much to share the 
friendship of his incomparable fellow-students; 
but he felt too strongly the wide difference of 
character which forbade any association with these 
youths who knew him better than he would have 
wished. He had indeed been brought up a Chris- 
tian, but for the past six years he had lived in a 
state of impious, though secret, apostasy. Nor 
was it from motives of honorable shame that he 
kept this secret; he knew that his life-long ambi- 
tion, to sway the imperi il sceptre, would be surely 
defeated, if once it became known that he was a 
fanatical idolater and a votary of the magic art. 
But this outward semblance of Christianity could 
not deceive the keen insight of the two friends, 
and they felt some concern at the association 
which was springing up between Julian and the 
new-comer from Antioch, for though Tigranes was 
not a Christian, yet he seemed to be in a fair way 
of soon embracing the faith; It was rumored, 


20 


Tigranes, 

however, that he was one of those to whom Julian 
had promised a position in his court, as soon as he 
should have been raised to the dignity and power 
of Caesar ; and this only made the two friends more 
eager to turn him away from such a connection. 
But on the first intimation of their purpose, Ti- 
granes began to defend his patron. 

“We have everything to hope,” said he, “from 
Julian. He is the very counterpart of Constan- 
tins ; he is full of fearless intrepidity and despises 
anything mean or unjust.” 

The young Christians felt no little doubt about 
the qualities attributed by Tigranes to Julian, 
whom they really believed capable of betraying 
Constantins himself, when it might serve his turn. 

“No, no!” insisted Tigranes, “that, never! 
Constantins could find no more faithful colleag-ue 

^ o 

in the whole empire. I know well enough that 
rumors have been afloat here lately of some con:- 
spiracy of Julian’s against Constantins; but such 
things are mere extravagances. Why, even Con- 
stantins himself, accustomed as he is to suspect 
evil where it does not exist, not only disregards 
such idle talk, but even intends to raise him to 
the purple.” 

“Well,” said Gregory, “that Julian is really a 
conspirator, I neither assert nor believe; but what 
I know is, that in him there are two Julians; the 
one, all modesty, devoted to study, assiduous in 
his attendance at the lectures on sacred scripture 
and in the meetings of the Christians; the other, 


The School at Athens, 21 

thoroughly worldly, ambitious, vain, full of pride 
and passion/’ 

As for me,” said Tigranes, ‘‘ 1 have not 
observed all that. In what have you perceived 
it?” 

“Oh, in a hundred things. And if other signs 
were wanting, in certain very significant expres- 
sions, which sometimes escape him in conversation; 
in certain significant looks, which betray his dis- 
gust at the Christian sentiments uttered by some of 
his fellow-students. And have you never noticed 
that in the school of eloquence, he always declaims 
on the side of the idolaters?” 

“I'hat is merely for practice in the wranglings 
of dialectics,” urged Tigranes. 

“Very likely!” replied the other. “But I never 
knew that sneers, that looks of deep hatred, and 
ill-disguised expressions of contemptuous pity, had 
anything to do with practice in dialectics. And 
what is more, can you deny that he spends whole 
nights in close conference with that furious 
idolater, Libanius, who would gladly offer incense 
to dogs and mice, like the Egyptians? And that 
too, in spite of the strict prohibition of his imperial 
uncle.” 

“ But that is only because of his great love of 
eloquence; for you know that Libanius is the most 
eloquent speaker of all Greece.” 

“Yes, eloquence! Believe that if you will. 
But is it only for his great love of letters that, 
under cover of the darkest nights, he steals away 


22 


Tigranes. 

to Ephesus to confer with the hierophant? Does 
he treat of style in those mysterious interviews 
with that accomplished sorcerer, Maximus, who 
came all the way from Asia on his account, under 
color of making a pleasure-trip?’' 

Tigranes had no reply to make to these revela^ 
tions, and though struck by the sagacity of his 
opponents, and somewhat shaken in his devotion 
to Julian, he still muttered in an undertone: 

“ I know nothing about these strange secrets, 
and have no wish to enter into any discission 
about them. I only know that Julian is a model 
of the highest virtues, and that it will be a happy 
day for the world when he can display them under 
the imperial purple." 

^‘Yes, and when you can display yours under 
the shadow of the consular fasces — Juliano Augusto 
et Tigranate Consulibusy 

And so they parted, the two friends lamenting 
the ill-success of their charitable endeavor to save 
Tigranes from his dangerous connection with 
Julian; Tigranes to sail with his patron towards 
Milan, with a mind full of the most brilliant 
dreams of the future. 


II. 


PROSPERITY AND MISFORTUNE. 

^[’F there be one thing which, more than another, 
j is calculated to deceive by false appearances, 
J it is certainly temporal prosperity founded, 
J as it is, upon the good things of this life* 
And so a celebrated poet has sung: 

Se a ciascun I'inierno affanno 
Si leggesse in fronte scritto, 

Quanti mai che invidia fanno 
Ci farebbero piet^,.* 

And indeed, courted and envied as they were, 
Constantins and his nephew, Julian, were really 
objects of pity, though the one was master of the 
known world, and the other had just been called to 
share the imperial throne, with a fair prospect of 
eventually becoming its sole occupant. But each 
was a thorn in the other’s side. Constantins, a 
man of weak and suspicious nature, was racked by 
constant suspicion and fear of the very nephew 
whom he was raising to his throne. Julian never 

* If every man but bore upon his brow 
The written story of his secret care, 

IIow many whom their fellows envy now 
Would then the world’s profoundest pity share? 

(Metastasio.) 

23 


24 


Tigraiies. 

forgot that his brother Gallus had been cruelly 
murdered by order of Constantius, and now the 
close proximity of one who had shed the blood of 
his race did but cause the poisonous fire of hatred 
to course more fiercely through his veins. To 
crown their misery, neither the Emperor nor his 
nephew could turn to God for consolation in their 
troubles, for they had both betrayed Him; the 
Emperor, by open persecution of the Church of 
Christ, Julian, by apostasy. Moreover, Constan- 
tius allowed himself to be ruled by a vile herd of 
eunuchs and parasites who turned him about at 
pleasure ; and these men were even less disposed 
than their imperial patron to bear patiently with 
Julian’s presence at court. By their advice, not a 
little strengthened by his own jealousy, Constantius 
kept a strict watch over his nephew, and never 
admitted him to a knowledge of the affairs of 
government, not even in the matter of the expedi- 
tion to Gaul, which had been specially intrusted to 
him. Julian, of course, chafed under this treat- 
ment, and would fain have sought consolation in 
the society of the companions he had brought with 
him from Greece, but even this satisfaction was 
denied him. 

In fact, Tigranes, hearing that ambassadors had 
just arrived from Gaul, hastened to the imperial 
palace, burning with curiosity to know something 
of the fortunes of the new Caesar, with which his 
own were so intimately connected. But to his 
utter astonishment he was rudely stopped at the 


Prosperity and Misforttme. 25 

entrance by the tribune of the guard with the chal- 
lenge : 

‘‘ Whither so fast, citizen ?” 

‘‘ To Caesar, who awaits my coming/' 

That may be; but we have orders to admit 
neither callers nor clients for three days to come.” 

“ But I come at the urgent request of Caesar 
himself, who sent for me last night.” 

“ Well, I don’t know anything about that. But 
the fact is that my orders are positive to the con- 
trary, and I must obey them, you know.” 

The discomfited client paused a moment to 
collect his thoughts. To his surprise at this un- 
expected check, succeeded a vague fear of some 
evil fate which might threaten the new-born honors 
of the young Caesar; but the train of his conjec- 
tures was broken by the sudden appearance of two 
young officers, well-known to him, Valentinian 
and Jovian. 

‘'Long live the Flavii!” cried Tigranes, as he 
advanced to meet them. 

His two friends returned the salutation : “ Long 
live the Flavii ! By the way, Augustus and the 
young Caesar are Flavii as well as you and w^e. 
A good omen !” 

“ Yes, Flavii all, after a fashion ! Of course 
there is the slight difference of a bit of purple and 
the trifle of a hundred or so of legions; and as I 
lack these little considerations, my patron will not 
receive me to-day.” 

” Of course, not at this hour,” answered Jovian. 


26 


Tigranes. 

“ But let us wait until the time at which he receives 
his friends, and we shall be admitted.” 

“Yes, you soldiers, perhaps; you are all of a 
piece. But the door of that atrium is closed to me 
for three days at least; I have just heard that ditty 
to plain music from that tribune yonder.” 

“ He only meant that some important matter is 
under discussion, and that, of course, no intrusion 
can be allowed. Let us wait, and we shall pro- 
bably be called in very soon. I have a conviction 
that we are on the eve of marching into Gaul. 
Who knows but” — 

“Tut, tut, man. But se:, here comes Oribasius, 
too, for his rebuff.” 

“ Good morning, friends,” said Oribasius, alight- 
ing from his litter and throwing off the cloak in 
which he had been completely muffled. 

“ Good morning, illustrious disciple of Hippo- 
crates,” replied Tigranes, with a grim smile, half- 
amused, half-spiteful. “ You come just in the 
nick of time, for here we are all three sick enough 
just now.” 

“What's the matter?” asked Oribasius. 

“ Disgust, anger, rage, and a host of other 
symptoms of the same kind.” 

“What? So early? You are joking.” 

“ No, in right good earnest. Look now. When 
a man jumps out of a comfortable bed and runs 
across the city by starlight, in such biting v/eather 
as this, to see a friend who has sent for him, and 
that friend whistles to him over his shoulder, ‘ wait 


Prosperity and Misfortune, 27 . 

a few days’ — even if that friend V7ere Caesar himself, 
do you think you would look pleasant about it ?’' 

“ By Esculapius ! Then Caesar gives no audience 
to-day ?” 

“ Prescribe for yourself, Doctor. Recipe — ten 
drachms of patience, or one application of your 
head to this column here’’ — 

But Oribasius was absorbed in his own thoughts. 
He stood for a moment rubbing his forehead with 
a puzzled look, as if just awaking from sleep, or 
like a man in a stupor ; then, as if suddenly struck 
by a bright thought, he exclaimed : 

“ Why, yesterday, he insisted so particularly on 
my being here by early dawn. Well, I sh^dl un- 
tangle this snarl to-day. No later than this very 
day I shall speak with him !” 

Et ens mihi mag mis Apollo! Well, if you 
manage to find the way of getting in to-day, don’t 
forget to tell Caesar that three of the Flavii were 
here this morning awaiting his rising, and that the 
porter very politely showed them the outside of 
the door.” 

“Yes, I promise you to see him, and to tell him 
of this.” 

“Will you bring us the news?” 

'“Certainly; but where shall I find you?” 

“Where? Well that is innocent! Where in 
the world should you find a man from Antioch who 
is spending a few days in Milan ? You know that 
we have no way of killing time here unless we go 
to the Forum, the Circus, or the Hippodrome.” 


28 


Tigranes, 

“Or to my house, to dine with Valentinian,*' 
added the tribune, Jovian, in a tone of courteous 
invitation. 

“ It will be most agreeable to me,’* answered 
Valentinian. 

“And it will be the consummation of my earthly 
delight,” added Tigranes, “ to wash down this 
morning’s mischance with a generous draught of 
your good old Falernian.” 

“ May Bacchus be propitious to you !” said Ori- 
basius, as he entered his litter. 

“And Mercury, the patron of successful schemers, 
favor you !” returned Tigranes. 

The two friends walked away toward the Ticin- 
ian gate, discussing as they went the strange turn 
events had taken. They agreed that Julian could 
not be responsible for the peremptory closing of 
the palace gates on them that morning, but that 
some secret influence was at work at Court against 
their patron. Was Constantins at the bottom of 
it, or was it his all-powerful chamberlain? They 
could not guess, but Valentinian, who was some- 
what skilled in Court int»'igues, thought that at 
any rate their best course would be to keep quiet 
about it for the time being, and to keep their eyes 
about them meanwhile. But his impetuous com- 
panion, who never knew how to control the feel- 
ings uppermost at the moment, indignantly reject- 
ed the idea of tame inaction. It was a shame and 
a disgrace, he thought, that such a bit of a man 
should give laws to the whole Roman Empire. 


Prosperity and Misfortune, 29 

“What!” he exclaimed, “a eunuch makes and 
unmakes generals at pleasure, and scatters gov- 
ernments and offices as if they were things to be 
scrambled for! Why, a short time ago he even 
came very near sending a Csesar to the block, 
and now he has managed to cage another one, 
and keeps him shut up from his friends. If there 
be gods in heaven, what kind of justice is 
this?” 

“ We cannot measure the justice of God by our 
standards. However, you had better look to 
Julian and not mind Constantins, who has very 
fitly become the merest plaything in the hands of 
a set of vile courtlings. The Emperor usurps the 
authority of the Church, and God has taken from 
him the rule of the empire; he would give laws 
to the bishops, and he is gpverned by slaves ; he 
is striving to set himself above the Roman Pon- 
tiff, who is far above all human estate, and he has 
become inferior to creatures that cannot be called 
even men. Woe to the rulers who raise a hand 
against their mother, the Church ! They can reap 
nothing from their sacrilegious boldness, but con- 
tempt and the curse of heaven. I trust that Julian 
may learn that truth if he is to rule the world !” 

“Yes, yes, that is the philosophy of you Chris- 
tians, I know; but it does not explain why Julian 
has to suffer for the faults of Constantius.” 

“How do you know that Julian is innocent? 
May he not be guilty of the same or of other 
faults before God, and so dese'rve to suffer too?” 


30 


Tigranes. 


‘‘ Guilty? Where can you show me a man more 
frugal, moderate, devoted to study and letters. He 
is a fast friend and open-handed to a fault. Do you 
call such things crimes ?” 

“ Even supposing that he possesses all these 
qualities, might not the schooling of adversity 
prove a greater benefit to him than the enervating 
influence of an unclouded prosperity?” 

“ Faith ! I see that I have fallen in with a very 
Socrates. It seems to me that I am back in 
Athens.” 

” Pshaw ! Among Christians these are consider- 
ed mere elementary truths. You may question the 
first simple old woman of them you meet, and you 
will find that she can tell you all these things as 
well as I can, and better.” 

“True; I remember that in Athens certain 
friends of mine used to advance the same doc- 
trines.” 

“ They were Christians, I wager.” 

“ Precisely. One of them was a certain Basil, a 
young Cappadocian of rank and great wealth, but 
as dead set against all niceness and effeminacy as 
a Spartan ; he was thin and wasted, and — by Jove ! 
— you should have seen those piercing eyes of his ! 
I remember that he was always in company with 
a fellow-countryman of his, a man from Nazian- 
zum, named Gregory. What a tongue! Julian 
himself, who is not tongue-tied, as you know, 
could not stand before him, and used to give him 
a wide berth to avoid discussions with him. Well, 


Prosperity and Alisfortime. 31 

those fellows were always ready with your very 
philosophy.”* 

‘‘And did they not persuade you to become a 
Christian, like Julian?” 

“To tell the truth, I was a greal deal more with 
Julian than with them, and he never opened his 
mouth to me about anything of that kind.” 

“And what do you think of it now ?” 

“What sJioidd I think of it ? I am like a man 
standing on one foot, who don’t know where to set 
down the other. I am undecided whether to follow 
Caesar into Gaul, or to go back to my household 
gods in Antioch.’* 

“For the present,” said Jovian, interrupting him, 
“you shall go neither to Gaul nor to Antioch, but 
to my house, where we shall dine together; that 
much is certain, and here is the house.” 

Meanwhile, Oribasius had been considering, on 
his way home, the means of contriving an inter^ 
view with Julian, in spite of the imperial prohi- 
bition. His quick-witted genius and practiced 
cunning had soon hit upon a plan. After the next 
relief of guards, he proceeded to the palace and 
managed to gain admittance under cover of his 
professional character as imperial physician and 
confidant. On reaching the apartment of Caesar, 

* St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianznm, fellow- 
students of Julian at Athens, even then knew the fierce monster 
that lurked under the assumed exterior of the pious student of 
Sacred Scripture and Eloquence. We shall yet have occasion 
to speak more at length on this subject. 


32 


Tigranes. 

he raised a fold of the heavy curtains at the 
entrance and announced himself by the salu- 
tation : 

''Salve, CcesarT' 

Julian, who was deeply engaged in studying a 
map of Gaul, raised his liead at the interruption, 
and perceiving Oribasius, rose quickly with an 
exclamation of surprise: 

“Oh, my dear friend!” 

“I don’t know,” continued the visitor, “whether 
it was Esculapius or Mercury that helped me to 
reach you, but here I am.” And he told him of 
the ruse which had secured his entrance. Caesar 
laughed, but his friend could not help observing 
that his gayety was not free and natural. 

“It is true,” said Julian, “I laugh, though I have 
much more reason to weep. What a hypocritical 
farce, to load me with a dignity which robs me 
of my friends, and even of the liberty of breathing 
freely ? ” 

“What, has any new trouble turned up?” 

“Yes, indeed. We must march into Gaul with 
a mere handful of men; the council held last night 
has literally decreed our destruction. Those 
eunuchs, who hold every wire here at court, under 
color of giving me a suite, have appointed me a 
guard of their vile hirelings, a gang of wretches 
who stop at no villany. But the hardest stroke 
of all comes from Augustus, who has ordered me 
to dismiss at once all those who accompanied me 
hither from Greece.” 


Prosperity and Misfortune, 33 

‘‘Are you going to leave me behind, then?’' 
inquired Oribasius, with trepidation. 

“You are one of the very few whom I have suc- 
ceeded in rescuing from the general proscription."* 

“Thanks to the immortal gods; I breathe 
again ! " 

“Ah! but if my enemies only knew that you 
are my confidant! If they could but imagine how 
I spend the hours with you in philosophizing; 
that in the dead of the night Minerva and 
Hecate"— 

“Hush! hush! Caesar; do you forget that in 
the palace of Constantius the very walls have ears 
and tongues ?" 

Julian, recalled by his friend’s exclamation to a 
sense of his position, began, in a more cautious 
tone, to relate to him how, on the very evening 
before, he had been for a long time closeted with 
the emperor, whom he had at last persuaded, by 
persevering and crafty manoeuvring, to allow him 
the company of a few of his chosen friends, among 
whom was Oribasius. “ It was," he added, “ a 
great consolation to him, in hi«b misfortune, that he 
would now have a faithful companion, with whom 
he could burn at times a grain of incense to the 
propitious divinities" — 

* “I hardly succeeded in retaining at Court four of my 
particular friends . . . of whom one was cognizant of my 

worship of the gods, and used to assist me in this, though 
secretly, for we could not do otherwise .... another was a 
physician,” &c. — Julian. Apostat., Litt. Athen. 


34 Tigranes, 

‘'But what about Tigranes?’* asked Oribasius, 
interrupting him. 

“I have lost him,” answered Julian. “What a 
blow it will be for him to learn this ! It is like 
rending my imperial purple to tear such a friend 
from my side. But I think that I have already hit 
upon a good plan for recovering him.” 

“It is a sad loss, certainly; but, between our- 
selves,” and here his voice sunk almost into a 
whisper, “it seems to me that he is beginning to 
grow weak in his adherence to Hellenism, and 
even leans towards the superstitions of those 
cursed Galileans.” 

“ Still, my heart tells me that he will yet be one 
of ours. And for fidelity — why, he has not his 
equal in the world. True, I hear that he is a 
great deal with Jovian, Valentinian, and others 
of the most rabid Galileans; is it true?” 

“Would that it w^ere not so. And indeed if those 
fellows had not his ear at all times, I am sure that 
we should have no difficulty in managing him.” 

“Well, then, it seems to be a special providence 
of the gods that he^ removed from us for a short 
time, for these two tribunes (curses on the malice 
of those eunuchs,) are among the few who are to 
accompany me into Gaul.” 

Time was urgent; the departure of the expedi- 
tion had been fixed for the morrow. Julian, there- 
fore, commissioned Oribasius to see Tigranes at 
once, and to tell him how the prince had been 
obliged, to his own great grief, to part from so 


Prosperity and Misfortune. 35 

dear a friend. “ But Tigranes must not give up all 
hope; as soon as Julian was once out of sight of 
Milan and in his encampments, he would receive 
his friend in his tent, where they might secretly 
meet for the present. The mad jealousy of the 
courtiers must soon yield to other influences, and 
then he should be openly received as Csesar’s 
companion and friend, if he was still so minded. 
As for yourself,” said Julian in conclusion, “from 
this day forward, as soon as the imperial orders 
are made known, you will have free access to me 
at any time. But now hasten to carry out my 
instructions ; tell him that I shall expect him, with- 
out fail, at Turin.” 

Tigranes was just at the height of his long 
growing admiration for the lofty principles and 
heroic virtues of his Christian friends and of their 
fellow-believers, when he was sent for to hear from 
Oribasius the sad message from Csesar. He was 
obliged to call into action all his self-control not 
to betray any signs of what he really felt within 
him ; he only exclaimed : 

“You are indeed the bearer of evil tidings to me 
now. I had bound my fortunes to his, and now 
all my hopes and designs have come to nought. 
Unfortunate man that I am !” 

“ Cheer up, man,” said Oribasius, encouragingly, 
“all hope is not yet lost.” 

“ My star is setting before it has fairly risen,*' 
continued Tigranes ; “ fortune is against me.” 

“ No,” said his friend, “ but fortune may be over- 


36 Tigranes. 

come by constancy. Caesar awaits you without 
fail at Turin.*’ 

Good !” cried Tigranes, recovering his usual 
spirits. ‘‘At Turin it shall be.” 


III. 


THE PERSECUTORS AND THE PERSECUTED. 


mN the brief interval of time between the discom- 
fiture of the three clients of the young Caesar 
at the gates of the imperial palace and the 
announcement made by Oribasius to Tigranes 
that Julian awaited him at Turin, the latter had 
made acquaintances and heard things which caused 
him considerable surprise at the time, and proved 
to be very beneficial to him at a later period. 

Leading out from the Ticinian Gate, and follow- 
ing the enclosed space walled in by Maximian, 
there is a road which winds on towards the Ver- 
cellian Gate, near which, at the time of our narra- 
tive, stood an imperial country-seat where Julian 
had made his abode until Eusebia introduced him 
into the palace. Not far off was the camp,, and 
half-way on the road to it, surrounded by thickly 
shaded gardens, rose a lovely villa, the retired and 
solitary abode of Hormisdas. Debarred by vio- 




The Persecutors and the Persecuted. 37 

lence from his right to the Persian throne, on 
which his father had sat, Hormisdas was enjoying, 
at the hands of Constantine and his successors, the 
hospitality of the Roman court. The hard fate 
which deprived him of a rightful throne was, how- 
ever, more than alleviated by the rich blessings it 
procured him instead, for he had learned and sin- 
cerely embraced the truths of Christianity, so that 
whilst his brother Sapor was staining their father’s 
purple with Christian blood, the exiled prince was 
proving himself not only the faithful disciple, but 
the generous champion of the proscribed religion. 
Retired — perhaps it would be almost as true to say 
hidden — in this same retreat, dwelt an illustrious 
deacon named Sabinus, who had remained in Milan 
after the banishment of its saintly bishop by Con- 
stantins, to act as guardian to the orphaned flock. 

The proximity of this residence to the camp had 
led the tribune Jovian to seek its hospitality, which 
was extended to him freely and generously, and 
here he lived as if in his own house. While Ti- 
granes and Valentinian were waiting in the atrium^ 
admiring the graceful colonnade which surrounded 
the impluvium, and the skilfully wrought fret-work 
of the roof which rose above them, Jovian had 
gone to inform his host of the presence of the two 
guests who had just arrived ; one of them a citizen 
of Antioch, the other, Valentinian, who was already 
known to him. 

“ What kind of a man is he of Antioch ?” asked 
Hormisdas in reply. 


38 


Tigranes. 

A comely youth of noble presence. He bears 
himself like a real patrician. In fact, on his first 
appearance at court with Julian, he attracted uni- 
versal attention.” 

‘‘What is his name ?’* 

“ Flavius Tigranes.” 

“ Is he one of the Brethren ?” 

“ To tell the truth, he is not even a catechumen. 
But still he is one of ours.” 

“Are you sure that he is perfectly free from any 
stain of Arianism ?” 

“ Oh, as to that, certainly. He is not baptized, 
and has not yet taken sides. But if he has any 
leaning at all, he certainly inclines, like Csesar, to 
the Catholics.” 

“Then I can be free with him and bring in 
our companion, Sabinus. You know how out- 
spoken the holy man is about the present state 
of affairs.” 

“You may act without reserve; otherwise I 
should not have invited him here without first 
notifying you.” 

His fears and doubts thus quieted, Hormisdas 
went to greet the strangers. He was followed by 
two slaves who brought cushions for the seats, and 
as he met the strangers, he at once extended to 
them a cheerful welcome, cordially gave them his 
hand, embraced them, and then invited them to be 
seated. After the usual expressions of courtesy 
had passed, Hormisdas rose and led his guests to 
the chambers prepared for visitors, pointing out to 


The Persecutors and the Persecuted. 39 

them, in passing, the entrance to the baths and to 
the gardens. 

‘‘ Use all that you find here,” said he, as your 
own; my slaves are at your call. Your rooms 
look out upon the terrace, though perhaps, for the 
moment, you would prefer to enjoy the autumnal 
scene, lighted by the slanting rays of the setting 
sun, which you can view to advantage from the 
exedra^ here on the ground floor. I have also 
something of a library here ; and an Alexandrian 
frcedman of mine, who seems to be never out of it, 
will be delighted to open out everything for you, 
and show you what he calls some rare curiosities. 
If you will excuse me for the present, I shall hasten 
to dispatch some letters by the messenger of a 
friend of mine who is about to return home. I 
shall have the pleasure of seeing you soon again 
at dinner.” And with these words Hormisdas 
retired, taking leave of his guests with a graceful 
salutation. 

“Do you know,” asked Jovian of Tigranes, 
“with whom you have just been speaking?” 

“Why, with a wealthy gentleman of Milan; a 
friend of yours, I suppose.” 

“ Better than that.” 

“ Well then, with a patrician perhaps, or a man 
of consular rank?” 

* The exedra, in Roman houses, was a hall furnished with 
seats and used for purposes of conversation, or for those disputa- 
tions of which the intellectual men of the time seem to have been 
so fond. 


40 


lig}^anes. 

Better still than that.’* 

‘'Indeed, he must be a very great man then! 
Perhaps some august majesty bereft of the 
purple ?” 

“You have hit it exactly. He is no less a per- 
sonage than the King of Persia.” 

“Just as I am Consul of Rome, you mean.” 

“Yes, and a trifle more; for he is really and 
truly the son of Hormisdas the Second, and elder 
brother to Sapor, the actual sovereign.” 

“By Jove! Is it possible? True, I had heard 
of him in Antioch and in Athens, but I was very 
far indeed from suspecting that I was face to face 
with him. So calm 1 So serene amid such rude 
shocks of adverse fortune! Certainly tha^ is sto- 
icism, and of the best quality too.” 

“No, but he is a Christian; and that is much 
better than being a stoic.” 

“ But why did you not tell me all this in the 
beginning? Did you not know that I am half 
Persian, and that my father left Persia whilst I 
was still a mere child ?” 

But the attention of our two friends was attract- 
ed by the suite of apartments into which they had 
passed during their conversation. They were 
struck with admiration at the richness and ele- 
gance of the rooms, the galleries, and all the de- 
tails of furniture and ornament, which, however, 
showed nothing of Oriental luxury. Tigranes 
could not help expressing some surprise at this, 
for he knew what a princely allowance Hormisdas 


The Persecutors aud the Persecuted. 41 

received from the emperor, and he accordingly 
turned to his companion as if expecting some ex- 
planation on the subject Jovian explained that 
Hormisdas had formerly showed what blood was 
in him, and had distinguished himself on the bat- 
tle-fields of Persia ; but now he had devoted him- 
self wholly to the pursuits of peace, and would 
never raise a finger against Sapor, unless con- 
strained to do so by the emperor. “ But further,** 
continued Jovian, whose position in the household 
afforded him a more intimate knowledge of their 
noble host, ‘‘since he became a Christian, he has 
been much more lavish of his means in behalf of 
our poorer brethren than for any other purpose; 
he frequently goes to the prisons to visit those 
who are condemned for professing the true faith.’* 
But not even the surprise and rush of feelings 
excited by the knowledge that he had been con- 
versing freely with a man of so much note in the 
world could banish from the mind of Tigranes the 
anxiety he felt about Julian. Since the last mes- 
sage sent him by his imperial patron, every hour 
seemed to him an age until Oribasius should come 
again to give him some information on the real 
state of affairs, and to clear up the mystery of 
that unlucky morning call. While awaiting the 
hour for dinner, he sought the baths, in the hope 
of thus whiling away the lagging hours. As he 
passed leisurely through the various apartments 
pertaining to the Roman baths, he was struck by 
the absence of those worse than indelicate repre- 


42 Tigranes. 

sentations which usually adorned the walls of such 
apartments among the pagans. His astonishment 
was increased when he proceeded to take his bath; 
for instead of the multitudinous attendance of 
slaves with every appurtenance of luxury and of 
sensuous refinement which he had been accus- 
tomed to find in such places, he saw but one 
attendant, an old slave, who carefully and prompt- 
ly attended to supplying him with all that he 
might need, and then withdrew into the dressing- 
room. The same surprise awaited him at the 
table of his host, where he found all that taste 
and refinement could suggest, but not a trace of 
the sensuality and extravagance so prevalent at 
that time among the wealthy. Tigranes, who had 
his eyes about him, as was natural on his first 
visit to such a household, noticed that Hormisdas, 
before taking his place at the table, had very 
prominently made upon his person a large sign 
of the cross, and prayed for a moment in silence, 
in which actions he was followed by Jovian and 
Valentinian. He saw also that the place of honor 
was left vacant, and that Hormisdas had not in- 
vited him or any other to take it. The mystery 
was solved, however, as soon as the first course 
had been served, by the entrance of a man evi- 
dently of mature age, of grave demeanor and ven- 
erable countenance, who courteously saluted the 
party as he entered, and occupied the vacant place. 

‘‘ Who is that ?” whispered Tigranes to Jovian. 

‘‘A guest of Hormisdas,” said his companion. 


The Pei^sectitors and the Pei^secuted. 43 

“Of course; but I mean, what is his name, and 
who is he?” 

“Can you keep a secret?” asked Jovu’an. 

“ Certainly. But come, answ^er me.” 

“ He is Sabinus,* the true father and the support 
of the Christians in their present painful trials. 
The Arians, who are now strong in the imperial 
protection, have broken into our churches, and 
we may think it doubtless a great mercy that we 
are not hunted from our private oratories. Their 
intruded bishop took care, first of all, to pocket 
the revenues of the Church; and now the virgins 
consecrated to God, the wddows and the desti- 
tute little ones of the flock are thrown upon the 
world for the support which they abundantly 
receive J from that fund until now. But this holy 
deacon is continually on foot, begging in every 
Christian household to supply, by private charities, 
for what they have lost, and his untiring zeal is 
generally successful” — 

Jovian here suddenly paused in his whispered 
description, for he saw that Sabinus, who had been 

* St. Sabinus, or Saviriu^!, was one of the great saints of this 
period. He was afterwards sent to St. Basil, in the East, two 
years before the beginning of St Ambrose’s episcopate. He is 
probably the same St. Sabinus or Savinus who was bishop of 
Piacenza. What he is represented as relating is historical, as will 
be seen by referring to Baroniusor Tillemont, who gathered their 
information from contemporaneous sources. Mention is made 
of Hormisdas and his visits to the Martyrs, in the Acts of Sts. 
Bonosus and Maximilian. Vid Ruinart’s trans. of Luchini, 
vol. IV, p. 313. 


44 


Tigranes, 

engaged in another direction, was turning towards 
the new guest, whom he had not before perceived. 
He had been told that Tigranes was an intimate 
friend of Julian, and one of those who had come 
with the young Caesar from the East, and taking it 
for granted that he was one of the Brethren, after 
exchanging the usual courtesies of a first address, 
he began to inquire about the Church in Asia, and 
to lament the calamities which had befallen the faith- 
ful in Milan. The good old man seemed to be par- 
ticularly afflicted at the thought that the Portian 
Basilica had become a sink of heresy. “That vene- 
rable pile,“ he exclaimed, “bequeathed to us by the 
first Christians of Milan, where they had perhaps 
heard the teachings of Jesus Christ from the lips of 
the Apostle Barnabas himself, ought to have com- 
manded the respect of the very enemies of the 
faith. At that same altar Caius officiated, and 
Mirocles — those men of God. It seems to me that 
its walls still love to keep alive the echoes of the 
great voice of Dionysius ! Alas, he is now an 
exile in a foreign land, and from his place the 
enemies of God scatter the seeds of impiety! How 
the sainted bones of the great Victor must stir 
uneasily in their vault when they hear such 
sounds 1* On that very spot, in the sight of the 

* St. Victor suffered martyrdom under Maximian precisely in 
the little wood iJbhich is known as “ The Elms” where the emperor 
had a pleasure- garden, {ad Silvulam quoe ad TJlmos vocatur, ubi 
viridarium habebat imperator,) as may be seen the Acts of the 
Sain's, by the Bollandists — May 8th — though these Acts are, 


The Persecutors and the PersectUed. 45 

whole people, — my mother was an eye-witness of 
the deed, and has often repeated the story in my 
hearing'— for the faith of Jesus Christ he suffered 
scourge, and rack, and fire, and death; and now, 
over those sacred relics, the Arian blasphemies 
resound. In what does he who boasts himself the 
son of Constantine differ from Maximian? What 
difference is there between that persecutor and our 
Protector? If the old hostility was more bloody, 
this is more dangerous. Soldiers, Victor was a 
soldier of the emperor, just as you are; he was 
offered promotion, honor, dignities — he preferred 
death. Remember this, for I see but too clearly 
that the day is at hand when we shall have to 
choose between apostasy and martyrdom.” The 
old man, forgetful of the dishes set before him, 
had raised himself up on his couch as he gave vent 
to his feelings, and as he thus leaned upon his 
elbow and turned towards his hearers, he pre- 
sented a striking picture— his face was wet with tears 
of emotion, but yet radiant with a supernatural 
light; the deepest indignation and the warmest 
charity seemed to have met in that look. All had 
remained perfectly still and speechless during this 
outburst ; even the slaves who were waiting on the 

perhaps, to some extent interpolated in places. The Basilica 
which bears his name is closely linked with the earliest memo 
ries of the illustrious Church of Milan. And yet, even in our 
own day, the fury of the impious enemies of Truth has attacked 
this venerable monument which the faithful of Milan look upon 
as the cradle of their Aposiolic faith. 


46 


Tigranes. 


table, stood spellbound and unable to move. But 
Sabinus himself was the first to turn their attention 
to lighter topics, and helped much to make the 
rest of the meal pass pleasantly in profitable con- 
versation. He partook sparingly, and only of the 
simpler dishes, but his meal was often interrupted 
by deep sighs which betrayed the intensity of those 
pent-up emotions excited in a Hther’s breast at the*" 
thought of his children’s sorrow. 

As soon as the tables had been removed, the 
slaves strewed saw-dust upon the marble floor and 
swept it away with their hard polishing-brushes, 
according to the custom in the mansions of ‘the 
wealthy, where the tessellated pavement was always 
kept carefully polished. Then, instead of being 
amused with the singing and dancing girls from 
the East, who usually furnished the after-dinner 
entertainments of the dissolute Romans at this 
period, the company drew around the venerable 
deacon, all anxious to hear something of the state 
of the Church, about their exiled bishop and the 
Sovereign Pontiff Liberius. Tigranes, whose know- 
ledge of all these things amounted to very little 
more than nothing, seemed very eager to know 
what the questions were about. 

I did hear in Greece,” he said, by way of ex- 
planation, that Milan had, within these last few 
months, witnessed some serious disturbances.” 

‘‘ What !” exclaimed Sabinus, “ you are one of 
Caesar’s familiar friends, and know so little about 
the most important affairs of the empire !” 


The PerseciUors and the Persemted, 47 

“Julian was not yet Caesar at the time of these 
occurrences,” replied Tigranes, “ and our heads 
were full of philosophy just then. Indeed, we 
hardly knew of the campaigns against the Alemani 
and against Silvanus. It was rumored that the 
Western bishops had openly resisted the authority 
of Augustus, and had been dealt with accordingly.” 

“ Are you a Christian,” cried Sabinus, “ and 
speak thus?” 

“ Excuse me, Reverend Father,” whispered 
Jovian to the old man, “this youth is not yet even 
baptized.” 

“Even so,’' continued Sabinus; “I must not 
leave him in such ignorance. He will soon pro- 
bably have a place in the sacred councils of Caesar, 
and I would have the truth go thither with him.” 

“ And I am ready to hear you,” replied Tigranes, 
calmly. 

“Come a little aside; let us together”—^ 

“ Rather here among us all !” cried the whole 
party, anxious to hear him on such a topic. 
Speak, Father, for whilst so many things are said 
against the Bishops and against the Pontiff himself, 
it will be gratifying to learn the truth from an eye- 
witness.” 

“ Poor legions !” exclaimed Sabinus. “ Yet they 
are Christian. But when the kings of the earth 
are in league against the truth, who shall stay 
the progress of falsehood ? The whole popu- 
lation of Milan will bear witness to the atrocious 
violence which forced upon us that unfortunate 


48 * Tigranes. 

Bishop, Auxentius, who is apart from us in every- 
thing — a Greek in language, a heretic in faith, and 
disreputable in morals. Yet I am sure that the 
camp has been made to believe that the Church 
of Milan considers itself happy in the change.” 

“Yes,” replied Tigranes, “and it was even re- 
ported that the Grand Chamberlain, Eusebius, was 
obliged to hasten to the basilica to appease the 
tumult.” 

“And besides,” added another member of the 
party, “ it was even asserted that the Pope refused 
to listen to the suggestions of Augustus, and went 
so far as to insult him in public.” 

“The same old story!” said Sabinus, bowing 
his head upon his clasped hands, “ the same old 
story! they persecute the just man and then heap 
calumnies upon him. It was so in the beginning, 
and so it shall be to the end. The first Pontiff, 
Jesus Christ, was nailed to a cross and loaded with 
all manner of calumnies ; and in Him we see the 
calumniated Pontiffs of all time to come.” 

“ What shall I say then in Gaul,” asked Tigranes, 
“ if any of the brethren inquire about the Council 
of Milan and Pope Liberius ?” 

“Say? This you shall say; that here, in this 
Metropolitan See, where Constantine signed the 
first decree which gave freedom to the Church, a 
successor, one of his own blood, has banished 
Catholic bishops and exiled the common Father of 
all the faithful. You shall tell them that while the 
people of Milan were bending before the holy 


The Persecutors ana the Persecuted. 49 

altars, anxiously awaiting the decision of the three 
hundred bishops who were gathered together in 
the sanctuary, and were entreating them to give 
glory to Jesus Christ the true God, the Emperor 
was surrounding the holy place with a ruthless 
soldiery to strike terror into the flock and its pas- 
tors. But in vain ! All, even women, old men, 
young children and delicate maidens, protested 
with one voice, that rather than deny the divinity 
of Christ they would bathe that holy temple in 
their blood and shield the tabernacles with their 
bodies. O my country ! how lovely, how great 
didst thou appear to me on that memorable day 
when, closely knit to thy bishop, thou didst strug- 
gle to preserve thy faith, and didst pray for victory 
amid the tombs of the martyrs 1 The morning 
dawned on a night spent in prayers and tears, but 
with it came a wretched bishop, a fallen angel, a 
man of venal faith and gloomy brow. He was 
escorted by a eunuch from the palace ; but when 
he ventured into the pulpit to preach submission 
to the imperial decrees, he was met by a storm of 
indignation which he was not prepared to brave. 
The very name of the emperor which, under all 
other circumstances, would have been treated with 
respect and veneration when quoted as an autho- 
rity in matters of faith, was received with scorn and 
derision; the women, even of the poorest class and 
the most ignorant, stopped their ears and turned 
their backs upon the intruder with the most unmis- 
takable signs of contempt. From all sides arose 


50 


Tigrar.es, 

the cry: ‘It is not for court- prelates to chsnge the 
decisions of the Bishops of Rome!’ ‘You are not 
our bishop ; we have Dionysius I’ ‘ We believe in 
Jesus Christ and not in Augustus I’ ‘ Away, hireling 
of the emperor, tool of the eunuchs!’ 

“ It was to me truly heart-rending to see the 
episcopal dignity so degraded. But what could 
we do ? When once a priest has forfeited his 
stainless glory, neither the favor of courts nor the 
protection of princes can save him from the shame 
which God will surely heap upon his rebellious 
head. This unhappy Germinus, as the intruded 
bishop was called, had no course left him under 
the circumstances but to come down from the 
pulpit and make the best of his way back to the 
emperor, to tell him of the greeting with which he 
had met.” 

“But what was the emperor’s object in all this?” 
asked Tigranes, who had not yet penetrated the 
real state of the case. 

“He would teach the Church the true faith, 
restore its discipline and increase the pomp of its 
worship.” 

“ Very well ! and so you priests are not willing 
to be protected ?” 

“It is the bounden duty of princes to protect 
the Church, but not to rule her; much less to 
remove from the sacred precincts of the sanctuary 
the council of bishops, and to shut them up in the 
imperial palace under the care of the praetorian 
guards, as our protector Augustus is doing just 


\ 


The Persecutors and the Persecuted, 5 1 

now. But, thank God ! there was still courage 
enough left in one man to meet him face to face. 
Constantins had taken his stand behind a heavy 
curtain so as to hear the debates of the council 
without being seen. To wTat undignified mea- 
sures kings are driven when they try to be 
bishops! The prelates had but just now heard 
the imperial ministers propounding to them the 
doctrine of Augustus; they were weary of this 
disgraceful comedy, and their just indignation 
found expression in the fearless answer of the 
Legate of Pope Liberius: ‘Even should the 
emperor turn against us the whole power of the 
empire, the faith of Nicaea shall be our faith and 
Jesus Christ our God! No more blasphemies, 
then; no more sacrilegious edicts !’ This was too 
much for the pride of Constantius. Tearing aside 
the veil which concealed him, he appeared, pale 
with rage, before the assembly. But those noble 
confessors of the faith, firm and fearless in the 
consciousness of right, rose in a body and declared 
that whoever denies to Christ the worship due to 
God, does by the very fact take part with Anti- 
christ. What a splendid triumph for religion I 
A handful of priests, many bent beneath the 
weight of years, unarmed, imprisoned, standing 
unterrified before a powerful emperor, young, 
armed and fired with anger! 

‘Insolent wretches !’ cried the prince, furiously, 
‘yield to my commands; condemn what I con- 
demn!* 


52 


Tigranes. 


^Augustus/ was the reply, 'you command 
us to betray the faith. We cannot! You con- 
demn the Bishop Athanasius; we cannot lawfully 
approve of the condemnation unless we know his 
crime and hear his accusers/ 

‘“I am the accuser,’ said the emperor, haughtily, 
' I, the master of the world.’ 

“'You cannot be his accuser, Augustus,’ replied 
the council; 'you were not a witness of the facts in 
the case, and therefore the ecclesiastical law does 
not recognize your right to depose against the 
bishop.’ 

“ ' My will is law 1’ 

“ ' For the state, perhaps, but not for the 
Church.’ 

“‘Wretches! You shall perish in exile. My 
vengeance shall fall heavily upon these froward 
Churchmen !’ 

“ ‘ Any spot on the face of the earth will afford 
us a country where we may still adore Jesus 
Christ,’ was the final answer of the bishops, ‘and 
His wrath only is to be feared.’ 

“The passion which he had been struggling, 
though so imperfectly, to contain, now broke out 
uncontrolled. Drawing his sword in his blind 
fury, Constantins cried out in a voice choked 
with rage : 

“‘To prison with these obstinate rebels; away 
with them to destruction !’ 

“And thus was the council broken up. When 
the veil of darkness could cover their impious 


The Persecutors and the Persecuted. 53 

deed, bands of armed men surrounded the basilica 
where the people were praying for the triumph of 
truth and of the Church. These satellites of the 
tyrant broke into the sacred inclosure, and vio- 
lated the holy sanctuary, which resounded with 
their blasphemous cries and with the clanking of 
chains. One hundred and fifty of the faithful, both 
clergy and laymen, were loaded with fetters at a 
sign from the brutal eunuch who commanded the 
party. Thrice I offered my hands to the gyves ; 
but thrice, alas! 1 was rejected. God had chosen 
worthier victims, and now I am left alone, like the 
prophet in desolate Jerusalem, to weep over the 
widowhood of this Church and the smoking ruins 
of religion.” 

' A long and reverential pause followed this sor- 
rowful plaint of Sabinus, but at last Tigranes, who 
had been quite captivated by the simple dignity of 
the venerable narrator’s manner and language, ven- 
tured to break the silence : 

“ Father,” he asked, using the manner of address 
which he had learned from the Christians, “ what 
has become of Liberius? It was said in Athens 
that he had greatly provoked the emperor.” 

“ It is the great misfortune of Constantins,” 
replied the deacon, “that instead of learning from 
the Pontiff what is most for the good of religion, 
he insists upon teaching him his duty; and the 
constancy of the Vicar of Christ, he styles obsti- 
nacy. I bow with all respect before the sovereign 
who rules within his proper sphere, over the con- 


54 Tigranes, 

cerns of his kingdom ; but when he strives to sway 
the spiritual authority in the Church, I can but 
pity him. He has driven from their sees the true 
pastors of the flock, and set up in their stead men 
who are enemies to God and the Sovereign Pon- 
tiff; and while his victims, from their prisons or 
their exile in distant lands, or under the scourge, 
gave their silent testimony to the emperor’s per- 
fidy, he had determined to force some expression 
of approval and praise from the Pontiff. Euse- 
bius, one of the proudest, but vilest of the cour- 
tiers, was sent to Rome with orders to bring over 
the Pope to the views of the emperor. I hap- 
pened to be at that very time in Rome, whither I 
had been sent to confer with the Pope on the state 
of our persecuted Church, and I saw that arrogant 
minister of the imperial tyrant, with the bearing 
of one who is wont to bend or to break every will 
opposed to his own, enter the Lateran palace, and 
present himself before the Vicar of Jesus Christ as 
before a subordinate officer of the empire. After 
presenting the gifts sent by the emperor, the envoy 
added in a haughty tone: ‘Accept the favors of 
Augustus, hear his advice, and confirm the sen- 
tence pronounced by him in the Council of Milan; 
such is the emperor’s order.’ And then adding 
insult to insolence, he seized the hand which so 
many better men kiss with reverence. A hardly 
perceptible smile of noble indignation appeared 
for a moment on the lips of the outraged Pontiff. 
‘Tell your master,’ he said with quiet dignity. 


The Persecutors and the Persecuted, 55 

‘that decrees on matter of faith are written, not in 
the palaces of kings, but in the synods of bishops. 
Athanasius, whom he condemns, has been declared 
innocent by the Church; the Arians, whom you 
and the emperor protect, are the only ones law- 
fully condemned/ Eusebius was not used to such 
replies; and forgetful, in his mortification, of the 
difference between his own condition and the dig- 
nity of Liberius, he broke out into violent and 
threatening invectives; but finding that this course 
was not likely to work more successfully than the 
offers of illusory favor, he gathered up the imperial 
presents, and angrily hurried away from the pres- 
ence of the Pope. He had the presumption to 
offer those rejected gifts on the altar of St. Peter, 
in the Vatican Basilica; but they could not long 
remain there, for the Pontiff ordered them to be 
removed thence, as the unacceptable offerings of 
a heretic and a persecutor of the Church. And 
these are the crimes for which Liberius has been 
torn by violence from his throne. 

The sacred basilicas were immediately beset by 
armed men, while the dwellings of the faithful citi- 
zens were surrounded by bodies of troops and 
bands of hired bravoes. The Catholic ladies with- 
drew to the country to avoid meeting the barbar- 
ous soldiery of Eusebius; Rome presented a 
shocking scene of violence and terror, which was 
increased daily by fresh dispatches and ruthless 
orders from the furious emperor. To crown all 
their other deeds of violence, a band of the savage 


56 


Tigranes. 


hirelings of Constantins forced an entrance into the 
peaceful walls of the Lateran palace, and laid sac- 
rilegious hands upon the Vicar of Jesus Christ. 
The emperor was filled with impious joy on learn- 
ing that the Bishop of Rome was approaching 
Milan as a prisoner, and already he began to 
promise himself an easy triumph; but Liberius 
was bringing him defeat and discomfiture instead. 
What a spectacle ! It seems to me that I see 
him still standing unterrified before the angry 
emperor, surrounded by all the apparatus of sov- 
ereign majesty, and attended by some cowardly 
priests, paid to second the tyrant in his unholy 
project. Oh ! that the noble words of the great 
Pontiff could have been sculptured in bronze, to 
stand as a lasting monument and lesson for future 
Caesars ! 

‘‘ ‘ Have you not yet persecuted the Church 
enough?' he exclaimed, looking steadily at the 
emperor; ‘and would you now make me a traitor 
to my trust, a stumbling-block to the faithful ? 
No ! I am ready to die, but not to become a tool 
of your iniquity. Augustus, beware how you 
further provoke the wrath of Him who gave you 
the empire; it is hard for you to kick against the 
goad !’ 

“ Constantins, whose great object was to obtain 
the Popes confirmation of his sentence, dissembled 
his rage for the moment, and addressed the Pontiff 
with feigned reverence: ‘Because you are the chief 
pastor of my eternal city I have called you to the 


T^he Persecutors and the Persecuted. 57 

court to confirm the sentence already pronounced 
by my faithful bishops.’ 

‘‘ * I cannot,’ answered Liberius firmly. 

‘‘ * Other bishops have already approved it/ 
urged the emperor. 

“'Yes/ said the Pope, ‘those few who could 
betray justice and conscience.’ 

“ Eusebius now made an effort to support his 
master by offering anew proposal; but Liberius 
did not even reply. One of the venal court 
bishops who supported Constantius said aloud, 
that the Pope maintained this invincible obstinacy 
only that he might afterwards boast in Rome of 
the firmness with which he had faced the emperor. 
This suggestion seemed to sting the emperor to 
new fury, and he broke out more fiercely than 
ever: ‘And do you then think yourself so strong 
that you can alone withstand him whom the whole 
world obeys?’ 

“ ‘ Three youths alone were too strong for the 
mighty Nabuchodonosor,’ was the simple reply. 

“ Constantius was inwardly writhing with vexa- 
tion and disappointment. But seeing that nothing 
was to be gained by threats he once more had 
recourse to feigned respect and submission. He 
represented to the Pontiff that one word of 
approval from him would be more prized then 
than the triumphs over Magnentius and Silvanus 
which had won him the empire. In such a cause 
Liberius could not be mollified by entreaties any 
more than he had been terrified by menaces. 


58 


Ttgraiies. 

^ All that I ask of you,’ cried the emperor, grow- 
ing impatient again, ‘ is that you confirm my sen- 
tence; then you may return to Rome.’ 

“ * I have already bid adieu to Rome,’ answered 
Liberius; ‘I would rather abide in justice than in 
Rome.’ 

‘‘ ‘ I give you three days to consider,’ said the 
emperor. 

“ ‘ It is a useless delay ; I have already deter- 
mined upon my line of duty.’ 

' But I will banish you.’ 

‘‘‘Well, banishment cannot change my mind.’” 

At this point of the narrative of Sabinus, all the 
company — Jovian, Valentinian, Hormisdas — broke 
out into exclamations of admiration and approval, 
as if they had been witnesses of the noble bearing 
of the great Pontiff; even Tigranes, though not a 
Christian, exclaimed with enthusiasm: “O noble 
old man ! heroic Pontiff!” But perceiving that 
Sabinus was beginning to speak again, they 
returned to their former respectful attention. The 
old man continued his story: 

“ The emperor sent the Pope five hundred gold 
pieces, as he said, to supply him with necessaries 
on his journey. The offer was refused, as was also 
a similar one from the empress, with the reply : 
‘ The alms of the faithful will be enough for me.’ 
But when the perfidious eunuch, in imitation of his 
employers, came with hypocritical commiseration 
to offer him money, the exiled Pontiff could not 
restrain his indignation : ‘ What ?’ he exclaimed, 


The Persecutors and the Persecuted. 59 

‘did you think that the Vicar of Christ would 
accept as alms the gold of which you have plun- 
dered the Church ? Go, and learn what it is to be 
a Christian !’ And so amid the tears and the 
admiration of the Christian world, the noble Pontiff 
Liberius entered upon his exile three months ago." 

“How we have been deceived in this matter!" 
exclaimed Tigranes. 

“ But his children here were not deceived. They 
thronged about him, kneeling for his blessing, as 
he passed through the streets of Milan on his way 
to Thrace. The people of Rome were not deceived, 
for as soon as they learned the sad tidings they 
hastened in crowds to the sacred basilicas to weep 
and to pray before the Lord in behalf of their 
exiled Father. In vain did the court attempt to 
force upon them another pastor ; they drove from 
among them that wretched tool of the eunuchs, and 
swore that Rome should never know any Pontiff 
other than Liberius, while he lived." 

“ Noble people," cried Tigranes, “ worthy of 
their Bishop!" 

“What you now say here, good youth," said 
Sabinus, “ repeat in the councils of Julian ; and may 
God grant you a yet fuller share of the light of 
faith'!" 

“ I shall never forget it,*' said Tigranes. 

“Nor I," added Jovian. 

“ Nor I," repeated Valentinian. 

“ Noble tribunes," exclaimed Sabinus, “ you are 
worthy of your faith ; may our God protect you I 


6o 


Tigranes. 

At least He has still some brave souls who have 
not yet bowed the knee to Baal/' 

The aged deacon was evidently fatigued by the 
excitement and the length of his discourse. Hor- 
misdas perceiving it, gently took his hand and said, 
as he pressed it to his lips: Reverend Father, you 
need a little rest;" and with gentle violence he 
drew him away to his own apartments. The young 
men continued for some time to speak with admi- 
ration of the heroic fortitude displayed by the con- 
fessors of Christ; even Tigranes, calling up memo- 
ries of the heroes of Greece and Rome, with which 
his mind was well filled, extolled Liberius as far 
above them all. Indeed so entirely was he carried 
away by his admiration of what he had heard, that 
he seemed to have almost forgotten the great affair 
of Julian. 

Oribasius, however, did not forget it, as we have 
already seen. 


IV. 


THE CAMP BEFORE TURIN. 


A||^N the day following that which had brought to 
7 I Tigranes the summons to meet his imperial 
patron at Turin, Julian was marching with 
his legions towards Gaul. Among the tri- 
‘bunes who accompanied ’ him in this expedition 
were Jovian and Valentinian, two officers whom 
Julian would certainly never have selected himself, 
because they were Christians ; but the choice of 
his officers had been taken out of his own hands, 
and the appointment was made by Constantins. 

A short march brought the army to the banks 
of the Dora which they crossed at once, and found 
themselves on those dreary, barren plains from 
which rose the towers of ancient Turin.* The 
soldiers looked wistfully at those beautiful gates 
surmounted by the marble statue of Jupiter, upon 
the base of which was the inscription : Jupiter 
C usTOS AuGUSTiE Taurinorum. They would have 
given much to have entered those gates, but the 
detachment which had been sent before to select a 


* The Taurium, or perhaps rather Augusta Taurinorum of the 
ancients, is our Turin. Segustum is the modern Susa; Mons 
Matrona is Mt. Ginevro ; Vesulus, is Mt. Viso; Mons Jovis, Mt. 
Jupiter, is the Great St. Bernard., The inscription spoken of 
here as written under the statue of Jupiter over the gates, is a 
matter of history. 

6i 


62 


Tigrancs. 


site for the camp, had passed by the walls and 
pitched upon a spot west of the city. The tribune 
in command of this party having discov^’ered a small 
eminence on the road to Segusium, set up the 
imperial standard there. A square of two hundred 
feet was traced out for the prcetorium^ and with this 
for a standard the rest of the camp was laid out, 
after the usual manner of the Romans, in a square. 
The various divisions of the camp were measured 
off and marked by the tents of the various tribunes 
according to their legions, an open space for the 
forum was cleared, and all this so expeditiously 
that when the legions arrived they had only to 
march into their various quarters without any 
delay; in a few hours everything was in perfect 
order — the arms stacked, the tents set up, the 
baggage properly disposed of, and even the wall 
and ditch around the camp completed. Mean- 
while, Julian, whose knowledge of castrametation 
was altogether theoretical, rode about among the 
laborers, surrounded by his officers, more like a 
raw recruit than a commanding officer; and when 
he retired at evening to his tent, he could not help 
exclaiming: “ Well! they have made a mess of it 
certainly in sending me at the head of the army. 
My gentle Plato 1 who would have believed that 
thy philosophic pages were preparing me to be a 
great military leader.'’ And yet the young and 
untried general showed that there was good hope 
of success for him, and that the Athenian student 
inherited no mean share of Constantine’s genius. 


63 


The Camp before Timn, 

Well for him had he but possessed more of that 
great man’s piety together with what he had of his 
military talent! 

The army was to remain three days encamped 
on the plains before Turin. But the time was not 
lost by Julian ; for it was his wont ever since his 
elevation to power, to devote some hours of the 
night to business and to study. On one of these 
evenings as he was holding a council with the 
officers of the praetorium and the court officials 
appointed by Constantins to accompany him, the 
conversation happened to turn upon the strategic 
position of the city. 

“ We are upon the exact spot where Constantine 
once fought,” remarked an officer. “ It was here 
he came down from Mount Matrona, and march- 
ing along this very valley of the Dora, here 
fell upon Turin and gained the first of those vic- 
tories which secured to him all Italy as far as 
Milan.” 

“ It is on the very route followed by Hannibal/^ 
said another. 

“ No, his route lay over Mount Vesulus.” 

This allusion brought others into the discussion, 
some asserting that he had passed through the 
gorges of Mt. Cenis, others that he had crossed 
Mt. Jupiter. 

“ At any rate,” remarked one of the savans of 
the party, ”the inhabitants of Turin paid dear 
for their resistance.” 

“Yes, but she has risen again from her ashes, 


64 


Tigranes. 

like the phoenix, fairer than ever. See what a cir- 
cus, what a theatre, what arches !” 

“And what splendid temples!” added Julian. 

“Yes,” said Valentinian, “and even ours (mean- 
ing the Christians) have a beautiful Basilica there.” 

“And yet,” remarked Oribasius, who had just 
returned from the city, “the whole population is 
devoted to Diana; you meet with shrines of the 
goddess at every turn. I was told, too, a few 
hours ago, that on this very night there are to be 
great sacrifices offered there, when they expect to 
receive oracular responses concerning important 
events of the coming year. Though, to tell the 
truth, I have no idea that they will come away 
from their sacrifice wiser than they went.” 

“ It seems to me,” interposed Valentinian, a little 
warmly, “ that the laws ought to be in force here 
as well as anywhere else ; for these nocturnal sacri- 
leges, besides being shockingly impious, are always 
followed by execrable scenes of debauchery and 
crime.” 

“ Well, the laws are in force here,” answered 
Julian, anticipating Oribasius. “I am sure that no 
sacrifice is offered within those walls, and if some 
ignorant clown happens to take a notion to sacri- 
fice a kid or a cur to Hecate, for good fortune, 
I cannot see why the world should be set agog 
about it” 

At this point the attention of those immedi- 
ately around Julian was attracted by an animated 
dispute among the other officers in the imperial 


65 


The Camp before l\rin, 

pavilion. It turned out to be Jovian, who was 
maintaining that the cross, which had appeared 
to Constantine, had been seen just over the 
range of beautifully serrated hills that stood out 
clearly against the blue sky to the eastward of 
Turin.* 

“ 1 have it,” said he, ” from an old veteran, who 
fought under Constantine, and who entered Turin 
close at the emperor’s side on the day of the battle. 
He told me that story a hundred times over when 
I was a boy, and my father, Varronianus, when we 
lived in Singido, in Pannonia, used to make him 
repeat it every time that he sat at our table. I 
can see him now dipping his finger in his wine 
and tracing upon the table the form of the cross 
and the words, ‘ In this Conquer,’ and my father 
used to laugh till he cried, especially when the 
good old fellow was a little unsteady and used to 
make the most billowy kind of lines one could 
wish to see.” 

“Veteran or no veteran,” exclaimed several, 'Sve 
have heard it from hundreds who were on the 
spot.” 

* Tliere seems to be some dispute about the precise place where 
the celebrated vision of the Cross was granted to Constantine, 
some placing it in Gaul, others near Rome, others again in 
norihern Italy. We incline to the last named place, and have 
consequently assigned the heights of Soperga, at the present 
time crowned by a famous temple to the Mother of God, as the 
scene of the prodigy. But in adopting this probable opinion we 
have not the least intention of attacking that of others, leaving 
to archceologists the labor of ascertaining the truth of the matter. 


66 


Tigranes. 

‘'Very good/' objected a few, “but we should 
like to have seen that cross ourselves.” 

“What?” cried Valentinian. “Is it not enough 
that the Divine Constantine saw it, and his whole 
army with him? Do you count for nothing his 
word, the victory of that day, and the Labarum 
which commemorates it?” 

Julian, who always experienced a feeling of 
hatred and loathing whenever he heard the name 
of^Constantine mentioned, but who still did not 
wish to betray his state of m’nd, perceiving that 
the discussion was growing warm, rose to his feet 
and dismissed his suite, saying that he wished to 
make the round of the camp, but unattended; and 
wrapping himself up completely in his military 
cloak, he made a sign to Oribasius, who followed 
him out. 

“ Ho! ho!” said an old officer, with a malicious 
wink at his companions, as they separated, “so he 
is putting on some of Hadrian's ways; he must 
make the round alone! But I’m afraid he’ll miss 
it this time, if instead of taking along some old 
Chiron of a veteran, he uses a physician as a 
guide.” 

Julian’s reason for not taking as the companion 
of his walk any of the old Chirons of the camp, 
was his desire to be alone with Oribasius, to treat 
of certain matters not suited to the public ear. As 
soon as they were out of hearing, Julian broke out 
angrily: 

“ That fellow is ever prating about the Divine 


67 


The Camp before Ttcrin. 

Constantine! I am heartily sick of it! He seems 
to think that there is no other emperor in the 
Roman annals to talk about. It is always, ‘Con- 
stantine the Great! Constantine the Victorious! 
Constantine the Divine!’ And by Jove! he was, 
after all, nothing but a snivelling, degenerate and 
impious Galilean.” 

‘'Very true; but take care how you express 
your opinion in public. The vulgar are not at the 
height of our philosophy.” 

“ But can’t any man with half an eye see that he 
never did a solitary thing worth speaking of? 
What do all his achievements amount to? They 
are like those gardens of dry branches set in the 
sand, — to-day a great glory, to-morrow all chaff, — 
nothing lasting. Do you suppose he ever imagined 
that his nephew would be going to-night to offer 
sacrifice to Hecate ? And yet here 1 am, about 
to offer sacrifice to my heart’s content, and right 
in the teeth of his ordinances.”* 

“And of those of Constantins too,” replied Ori- 
basins; “ for he is at this very moment preparing 
new laws to prevent our sacrifices.” 

“Yes,” said Julian, “and in spite of all the’Gali- 
leans ; may Jove blast them with his thunderbolts! 

* Julian, in his work on the CoRsars, p. 329, compares the 
deeds*of Constantine to those artificial gardens of Adonis, which 
were planted in the evening, and on the morrow were dead. But 
it may be asked what Julian himself ever did that lasted longer. 
So it is always ; unprincipled tyrants seek for glory in calum- 
niating honorable rulers, and Julian possessed in an eminent 
degree all the worst instincts of all tyrants. 


68 Tigranes. 

It would be worse than folly to pass by Turin with- 
out conciliating the mother of the Caesars, whose 
temple has stood here for ages, and without con- 
sulting Hecate, the goddess of night, in the present 
straits of my fortunes.’' 

“Your counsel is really from the gods," said 
Oribasius. 

The end of this conversation found them at the 
praetorian gate or main entrance of the camp. 
The centurion of the guard recognizing his impe- 
rial commander at once removed the barrier, and 
Julian, with his companion, passed on in the direc- 
tion of the city. Oribasius had taken care to 
arrange everything the day before, and at a short 
distance from the camp they turned into a deserted 
and dilapidated hovel where they found two slaves 
with horses, hidden behind the piles of rubbish. 
Julian, after changing his dress, mounted the steed 
prepared for him and directing the slaves to await 
their return, rode away with Oribasius, who had 
studied every foot of the road they were to travel. 
On reaching the banks of the Po they found a 
boat ready to start at once, and manned by four 
boatrhen perfectly familiar with those waters. 
These sturdy rowers soon landed them on the 
other shore, and whilst they were fastening their 
boat to the willows which grew thick on the banks 
of the stream, the two companions plunged in 
single file into a narrow path which led through 
the tangled growth of alders and willows to the 
foot of a hill not very far from the stream. In a 


69 


The Camp before Turin. 

retired and gloomy spot at the foot of this hill was 
an opening into a dark cavern, near the mouth of 
which sat four men, silent as ghosts, crouching 
over a smoky fire, and evidently watching for some- 
body. At the approach of the two strangers they 
rose and directed them to the entrance of the cave. 
The slight noise caused by the movements and 
the sound of the few words interchanged, aroused 
a woman who had been half-reclining, half-sitting, 
on some straw within. She advanced towards the 
new-comers and asked in a hoarse, deep voice : 

‘‘Who comes to consult the goddess of the 
night ?” 

Then examining the features of each in turn by 
the light of a lantern which she held up to their 
faces, the withered old hag asked again: 

“Whom do you seek?’* 

Oribasius answered : “ This is the young stranger 
who ordered the sacrifice.’* 

“ Is he one of that body of troops encamped on 
the other side of the river?” 

Julian now spoke for himself: “Never mind 
that. It is enough that I am a devout worshipper 
of queen Diana, the protectress of this neigh- 
borhood ; I venerate her priests and crave her 
counsel. ^ 

* The superstitions of the inhabitants of Tarin, and especially 
the worship of Diana, are often mentioned by St. Maximus, 
Bishop, in his Homilies. Oj)p. pp. IQi, 139, 140, 141, 142, 656 tt 
passim. But they made ample amends, when the light of the 
Gospel had once shone upon thorn, by t iieir true Christian pieiy, 


70 


Tigranes. 


Grecian youth,” replied the priestess, who had 
detected at once the Athenian student by his 
speech, “ is that your real purpose here, and does 
no treacherous design lurk beneath your words ? 
You know what stringent laws threaten the servants 
of the gods ; but know, that should you compass 
in any way the death of their priestess, the divini- 
ties will not leave you unpunished.” 

“You need have no fear,” replied Julian, “my 
purpose is sacred and conceals no treachery.” 

“Perhaps,” said the priestess, “you have left 
behind you some fair maiden whom you love, and 
who has been pining away in your absence, and 
now you would know from the guardian goddess 
of the night whether siie still proves true to you.” 

“A far more serious concern than that brinsfs 
me here,” answered Julian. “I shall in a few days 
cross the Alps to make war on the tribes of Gaul, 
and I crave to know from the twin sister of Apollo 
what fortunes await me there.” 

The old witch directed her attendants, who had 
entered with Julian, to light four funereal looking 
torches around the altar, which was made of sev- 

and their incomparable devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. 
Efforts equally violent and vain have been made ro rob them of 
this priceless possession by the false prophets known as Towian- 
pki, by the ApostVs of Alormonism, a Protestant sheet called the 
Buona Novella, and the deluded believers in Spiritism. If these 
last named religionists will examine the particulars of the scene 
“we describe, they will find that in many points the circles of the 
spiritists present a striking similarity with the devil-worship of 
the old pagan times. 


71 


The Camp before Timn. 

eral worm-eaten boards, already falling to pieces 
from age. Behind the altar, in a low recess of 
the cave, stood a hideous statue of the goddess 
upon a projecting ledge of the rock. She was 
covered with a long veil, without sleeves, holding 
in her hand a bundle of serpents, and her head was 
crowned with a crescent. 

“ You cannot expect unfailing oracles if you have 
not first conciliated the goddess by worthy offer- 
ings,” suggested the priestess. 

“Well, offer up to her a dog or a hind, as she 
may choose.” 

“ Blood ! human blood and flames are pleasing 
to the infernal Hecate,” said the priestess. 

“Then let her have fire and blood,” replied 
Julian. 

“Sit down, young man, with reverent mind, and 
look steadfastly upon the goddess, whilst I invoke 
her divinity wandering among these branches 
bathed in the dews of night.” 

One of the attendants then placed upon the table 
a brasier containing dead coals ; two others mean- 
while removed the cloak which the priestess wore, 
and threw over her withered and angular shoulders 
the shaggy coat of some animal, whilst the fourth 
handed her a hazel wand bent into the shape of 
a crescent, upon which were carved various mag- 
ical symbols. The priestess stretched forth the 
wand slowly, all the while rolling her eyes in the 
most horrible manner, and began in a low, hoarse 
murmur the words of incantation, and as she 


72 


Tigranes. 


chanted the inystic spell she moved several times 
with slow and solemn tread around the altar. 
Suddenly a low, flickering light began to move 
fitfully over the coals; soon it grew into a steady 
blood red flame. Then the attendants brought 
some vessels of wine which stood in the corners 
of the cave, and sprinkled it at intervals upon the 
flame. 

“Silence!’* cried the priestess, quickening her 
pace; “Silence! The sacred fire is rising from 
the realms of Pluto; the infernal goddess is at 
hand ; sprinkle the salted meal, give generous 
libations to her divinity.” 

The attendant ministers mingled and offered the 
libations, quaffing full goblets of the mixture as 
they moved about the altar, the priestess repeat- 
ing from time to time, “More, more!” 

“ That is not wine only,” whispered Oribasius to 
Julian; “they have mingled with it a still more 
intoxicating liquor, which opens the soul to spirit- 
ual influences.” 

And indeed when the priestess saw that her 
attendants, who were dancing and whirling about 
her wildly, had reached a state of delirious intoxi- 
cation, she suddenly exclaimed : 

“ Enough of fire ! Now we must have blood !*' 

Dropping the wine jars, from which they had 
been supplying the flame and their goblets, the 
phrenzied wretches seized the cleavers used in slay- 
ing their victims, and brandishing them with fan- 
tastic motions, they continued their wild dance, 


The Camp before Turm. 


73 


sometimes measured, now in a group, then again 
singly, at times leaping like demons, at others 
subsiding into a grotesque kind of march, and 
finally resuming their infernal gyrations, The 
woman had now taken her stand near the tripod, 
with hair dishevelled and eyes on fire; she waved 
her wand over the wild scene, seeming to direct 
at once and rule the furious and repulsive orgy. 
Weakened at last by their exertions, and overcome 
by the liquor, they stumbled over each other, and 
fell one after another to the ground, trembling, 
grinding their teeth, distorting their livid coun- 
tenances, throwing their limbs wildly about, and 
rending their garments; then with the consecrated 
knives they fell to hacking their own bodies, cut- 
ting indiscriminately at the face, breast, arms and 
legs. Soon all four lay around the altar under the 
influence of the goddess, rolling in blood and mire, 
still cutting themselves furiously, writhing like 
energurnens, and breaking out in deep groans or 
fierce bowlings. 

Julian, trembling in every fibre of his body, had 
recoiled into the farthest corner of the cavern dur- 
ing this hellish scene. But now a strong wind 
seemed to sweep upward from uader the altan 
followed by a long and fearful yell. 

“The goddess! the goddess! Behold the divin- 
ity !” cried the witch in a voice not less* terrible. 
And suddenly, a shock like an earthquake over- 
turned the altar, and threw down the lights. Amid 
the confusion, Julian saw moving slowly towards 


74 


Tigrancs. 


him through the darkness, a mantle of imperial 
purple, surrounded by a baleful light, which some 
unseen hand placed upon his shoulders, whilst a 
solitary* finger wrote upon the empty air before his 
eyes, quick as an arrow, the words: “In Gaul I 
AWAIT THEE.” Then in an instant all was again 
dark and silent as the tomb. Neither Caesar nor 
his friend could for some moments find courage 
or strength to stir; but the priestess aroused, and 
reassured them by the words: “Your sacrifice has 
pleased the divinity ; it is seldom that our myste- 
ries succeed so w^ell.” Then lighting a lantern, 
she showed them the four men still lying half- 
dead upon the ground. 

“Until to-moirow,” said she, “ they will be 
under the influence, as w'e say in our art, and 
intoxicated by the spirit of the infernal Hecate. 
If you would know more, now is the time to 
question them.” 

“I have heard enough,” answered Julian, who 
had hardly yet recovered from his terror. 

“Not so,” interposed Oribasius, “we must avail 
ourselves of the favors of the gods. I will question 
them in your name.” 

Then turning to the one who lay at his feet 
stretched out on his back with arms extended 
wide, belching forth wine and froth, he addressed 
him in a solemn voice : 

“ Where shall the new Caesar find the road to 
glory?” 

The breast of the prostrate man heaved con- 


The Camp before Turin, 75 

vulsively, and a gurgling noise was heard in his 
throat, which died out in these words: 

“ Free me from that which oppresses me/* 

“ Where shall he find you propitious/* asked 
Orisabius, ‘Svho now hears your voice?’* 

“Wherever I have a consecrated tripod; but 
my chosen seat is amid the rivers of the East.” 
“In Egypt?” 

“ In Egypt my brother Serapis reigns. Wor- 
ship him, and seek me no more. Your career 
shall be glorious, and we are with you ! ’* 

“ Let that suffice/' interposed the priestess ; “ do 
not weary the goddess who has already shown you 
unwonted favor. One thing I beg of you ; do not 
mention to Caesar the mysteries you have wit- 
nessed. Torture and death would be the return 
you would make me for the divine favors which 
my art has won for you/’ 

“Fear nothing,” replied Julian. “Caesar is mer- 
ciful — but he shall know nothing of this.” 

The night was far spent when Julian and Ori- 
basius quitted the cave, and when they reached 
the camp the first faint streaks of the dawn were 
beginning to appear in the eastern horizon. Julian 
was overjoyed at the unmistakable confirmation he 
had just received of promises giv'-en before in Greece 
and Asia, that he should wear the imperial purple; 
in his present state of feverish excitement sleep 
was out of the question, and he spent the early 
morning hours with his faithful attendant, eagerly 
and anxiously discussing every least detail of the 


76 


Tigranes. 


prophetic words. A hundred times he uttered the 
wish that he might confer for a moment with 
Maximus, his master in magic philosophy, who 
was accounted the most remarkable wonder-worker 
in all Asia, and the great father of the mysteries of 
Mithras. “If he were only here,” said Julian, 
thinking aloud in his earnestness, “ he could soon 
have cleared up the meaning hidden under the 
signs and words of the oracle.” Oribasius, on the 
other hand, maintained that “the whole thing was 
as clear as need be; that certainly the imperial 
purple needed no interpretation ; as to the relief 
from oppression, asked for by Hecate, it could 
mean nothing else than the restoration of the 
religion of Greece which had been crushed out by 
Constantine and Constantins; what gave additional 
force to this interpretation, was the Hct that the 
profane vision said to have been granted to Con- 
stantine, was believed to have appeared over these 
very hills, on every summit of which, in former 
days, stood some temple, or shrine, or grove sacred 
to Diana, but where now the goddess was forced 
to hide in the dark caverns, oppressed by the cross 
of the Galileans, which held sovereign sway in all 
the land that once was her undisputed realm. 
Tlie only thing that remained to be done was to 
seek out the favored seat of the goddess, which 
must be some famous temple in tiie East; it was 
his own conviction, to tell the truth, that the 
oracular response clearly had reference to the 
temple at Carrhae, in Mesopotamia. For this 


77 


The Camp before Turin. 

shrine, situated between the rivers Tigris and 
Euphrates, was remarkable for its regal magnifi- 
cence, its immense extent, which gave it the 
appearance rather of a city than of a temple, and 
the solemn splendor of its sacrificial rites, so that 
thither from every country under the sun, multi- 
tudes of pilgrims were ever thronging, as to the 
chief sanctuary in all Asia, where Hecate would 
gather her votaries together.” 

Julian could not deny that the interpretation 
given to the oracle by Oribasius was most proba- 
ble, if not certain, and this made him all the more 
eager to send at once some trusty agent to consult 
the oracle of the Queen of Night, at Carrhae, thus 
to assure himself of the destiny prepared for him 
by the fates. 

‘‘ If Tigranes would but take upon himself this 
mission,” said he, ” it would be just the thing ; but 
I fear that the cold hospitality to which he was 
treated at the palace gates when he last called on 
me, may have alienated him from me forever. Per- 
haps I shall see him no more — he may be at this 
very moment hastening to Brundusium, on his way 
to Asia ; or it may be that he is trying to banish 
the remembrance of the insult by renewed devotion 
to our old Athenian studies.” 

‘‘I have no fear of that,” said Oribasius, *Hor he 
must know that you were rather the victim than 
the author of that unceremonious proceeding. Be- 
sides, you know that as a friend, he is true as steel. 


78 Tigranes, 

The only doubt I have, is about his willingness to 
accept the mission.” 

‘'Why, what can he fear?” asked Julian. 

“ Certainly not the laws,” replied Oribasius, “ for 
it is easy enough to elude them by simply keeping 
the whole matter a secret ; but you are aware that 
he is growing weak in his devotion to hellenism 
and magic. You remember that in Athens he was 
quite taken with Gregory of Nazianzum, and that 
other fellow from Caesarea.” 

” You mean Basil.” 

“ Exactly. And now again . at Milan, he has 
been consorting with Hormisdas and his kind.” 

“ Oribasius, listen ; the gods inspire me to-day. 
I have a plan. I shall give him a sealed letter to 
the high-priest of the temple with the assurance 
that he has done me some good turns in Nico- 
media, — which is quite true you know, — and that 
I am writing to him on business of great moment 
to myself. Tigranes will be perfectly ignorant of 
the contents of the letter, and even should he sus- 
pect them, well, after all, he is not yet a Galilean, 
and he would hardly refuse to do me a favor. 
What do you think of it?” 

” Caesar, you speak like a god ! I cannot con- 
ceive a plan more likely to succeed.” 

“Then let me but see him. To-morrow is the 
day appointed, just the day before we break up the 
encampment.” 


V. 


THE SECRET MISSION. 

morning broke clear and bright; and ere 
1 the camp was fairly astir it was besieged by 
2- swarm of peddlers and other small dealers, 
^ such as always abound in the neighborhood 
of military posts, who came to dispose of their 
wares. Some of the women brought bread, fruits, 
cheese and other products of the country, with 
sundry little casks of those favorite wines of Bar- 
bera, Barolo, Asti and ‘‘the hills.’^ The soldiers 
were soon out of their tents and congregated in 
the fonim or market-place, near the tents of the 
tribunes, where the booths were generally set up 
in the Roman camp, at which the soldiers might 
supply their daily wants. Julian was watching 
from his own tent, with a great deal of satisfaction, 
this gathering in friendly confusion of men from 
all the provinces, Belgians, Batavians, Alani and 
Romans, all in high spirits and expressing with 
true soldierlike unrestraint their enjoyment of the 
fresh provisions, for they were thinking of the short 
rations and hard biscuit that awaited them on the 
other side of the Alps.* The noisiest men in every 

* Deinde diebus paucis .... comitatu parvo suscepto, kal. 
decembribus egressus est (Mediolano): deductusque ab Augusto 
adusque locum duabus columnis insignem, qui Laumellum inter- 

79 


8o 


Tig7^anes, 

crowd were the Gauls, and this is the testimony 
not of Archbishop Turpin but of a contemporary 
historian, who was an eye-witness of what he 
relates.* Some of the soldiers before drinking, 
religiously poured out upon the ground a few drops 
of wine as a libation to the tutelary deities of their 
respective countries, but the greater number made 
the sign of the cross upon the bread and the wine- 
flasks ; then gayly pledging one another they called 
out to their friends in turn: ‘‘Drink to the health 

jacet et Ticinura, itiiiefibus rectis, Taurinos pervenit, ubi nuncio 
percellitur gravi, qui nuper in Coraitatum August! perlatus de 
industria silebatur, ne parata diffluerent. Indicabat autem 
Coloniam Agrippinam, ampli nominis urbem in secunda Ger- 
mania, pertinaci barbarorum obsidione reseratam magnis viribus 
et delatam, Ammian. Marcellii^. XV., 8. 

“A few days later, on the first of December, he left Milan, 
attended by a small escort ; and accompanied by Augustus 
marched straight to a place between Laumellum and Ticinum 
and marked by two columns. Thence he proceeded to Turin 
where he learned a very alarming piece of news which had been 
purposely kept from him by the courtiers of Augustus, lest the 
expedition should fail : Cologne, an important city in Lower 
Germany, had been besieged by a large force of Barbarians and 
destroyed.” 

* Gain sunt omnes . . . avidi jurgiorum, et sublatius insole- 
scentes . . . Metuendae voces coraplurium et minaces, placatorum 
juxta et irascentium ; tersi tamen pari diligentia cuncti et mundi 
. . . Ad militandum omnis aetas aptissima . . . Vini avidum 
genus, etc. Ammian. Marcellin. XV., 12. 

“ The Gauls are all prone to quarrel, very proud and over- 
bearing. . . . Many of them use a loud and threatening tone of 
voice whether angry or in good humor; but they are all very 
neat and clean. ... At any age they make excellent soldiers. 
Very fond of wine, &c.”. . . 


The Secret Mission. 8i 

of Augustus ! Long life to Constantius ! Long 
life to Julian!’' 

Whilst the youthful commander was enjoying 
the scene presented by the camp at the moment — 
a sight which he never witnessed again — one of his 
officers came to announce that a young stranger, 
who looked very much like a Greek, was waiting 
impatiently to be admitted to his presence. The 
guards had refused him entrance on the ground 
that it was not yet the hour for the admission of 
visitors; but the young man demanded instant 
admittance, alleging urgent business of great mo- 
ment to Caesar. Julian surmised at once that the 
stranger was no other than Tigranes, and without 
inquiring about his name gave orders that he 
should be allowed to pass. It was indeed Tigranes, 
He had come, unchanged in heart and mind towards 
his august friend, to bid him a last farewell, and to 
assure him more ardently than ever of his inviola- 
ble fidelity. But he had come besides to do him 
an invaluable service. Having left Milan the day 
after the departure of Julian, he had fallen in, at 
Laumellum, with Constantius, who was still there 
with the numerous suite which had escorted the 
young Caesar thus far on his first military expedi- 
tion. As he mingled freely among the courtiers, 
with many of whom he was more or less acquainted^ 
he had caught many stray fragments of conversa- 
tions concerning Julian, to whom he conveyed the 
following expressions, uttered in a tone and spirit 


82 Tigranes. 

anything but friendly. Said one in a sneering 
manner : 

‘‘ Our young Caesar will have a pleasant time of 
it in the Rhine Provinces ; the Franks have so 
well supplied Cologne with wild beasts that we 
may now save ourselves the trouble of sending for 
any more to Numidia. We shall soon know how 
he has enjoyed the games of that circus.^’ 

‘‘What circus are you talking about ?’^ asked 
another, “ I certainly don’t understand you.” 

‘‘ Don’t you know the news ? The Franks, by 
way of giving him a suitable reception, have walked 
into Cologne in our German provinces, and have 
snapped up some twenty cities — a mere trifle ?” 

“ Cologne and twenty cities did you say ?” asked 
Tigranes with affected unconcern; “ why that will 
involve some pretty extensive fighting. Julian 
is probably leading a large army in that direc- 
tion.” 

“No; whilst we here display that wonderful 
valor which is necessary when many have to fight 
against a few, Hercules advances against the lion, 
alone and with only a club ; Ploratius Codes holds 
the bridge alone against a thousand.” 

“ And Xerxes,” said another in the same strain, 
“who marched into Greece with so many myriads 
of troops, was glad to make the best of his way out 
of it again alone, poor wretch !” 

“By Jove!” continued the first speaker, “Au- 
gustus must have a deal of confidence in this un- 
fledged Caesar; this youngling who has hardly 


The Secret Mission. 


83 


had time yet to realize that he is no longer sitting 
on the benches of the schools of rhetoric.’^ 

‘‘ So much,” replied the other, that the poor 
fellow has not yet even heard a word about the 
state of affairs there. Here everybody was pouring 
in congratulations upon him and interpreting omens 
in favor of his consulship for the next year; but 
about the inroad of the Barbarians — not a word! 
However, Augustus knows what he is about.” 

” Well, let them settle the matter between them ; 
I am not a military man, and don’t care a snap for 
the Barbarians. But one thing I do believe — it 
was a stupid blunder to send that young fellow off 
at the head of an army with his own head tied up 
in a bag.” 

“ We shall see what will come of it. He is scal- 
ing the Alps now, as lively as a cricket ; he may 
find reasons for being a little less brisk when he 
reaches the other side.” 

This conversation was not lost on Tigranes. He 
seized his first opportunity to pass out unperceived, 
mounted a swift horse, and after riding all night 
was in the tent of Julian, as we have seen, early in 
the morning with a detailed account of the news 
he had thus picked up the evening before. It may 
be easily imagined that Julian was not a little con- 
cerned on hearing his friend’s account. He buried 
his face in his hands and groaned deeply. 

am lost!” he exclaimed bitterly. “See, my 
only true friend, to what a pass I am brought 1 
Where are now all the fair omens of a brilliant 


84 


Tigranes. 

future so lately promised me? I am driven on to 
destruction with my eyes blindfolded. The very 
fate of Gallus ! The same ! The same !’' 

Tigranes tried^ to throw a ray of light upon the 
despairing grief of his patron, by suggesting that 
there were standing legions in Gaul. 

“ But they are all broken and dispersed,” replied 
Julian, “besides, the commanders there are all 
taken up with the care of themselves, while those 
I have with me are spies and villains, all bought 
up by Augustus; and what with their obtrusive 
prying and cross-questioning, I get no peace at 
all.” 

During this last sentence Julian had started up 
from his seat and was pacing his tent like a fretted 
lion, every now and then stopping as if in deep 
thought, and then repeating in a tone of indigna- 
tion : 

“ Forty cities taken by the Barbarians, and Au- 
gustus is throwing me into their jaws with a hand- 
ful of men, while the legions that were burning to 
follow me are left to rot in their quarters.” 

“There is no occasion for being disheartened 
at that,” said Oribasius, who had entered unper- 
ceived by Tigranes. “If Augustus is not with you, 
the gods are.” 

“ For my part,” said Tigranes, with a sneer, “ I 
would rather have a couple of legions of well sea- 
soned old veterans with me than two dozen of your 
gods with their ladies — with all due reverence to 
them.” 


The Secret Mission, 85 

“ Tigranes/* said Julian, seriously, not pro- 
voke the deities.” 

“ My deity,” answered Tigranes, “ is the one only 
God in heaven, and after Him, Julian Caesar, for 
whom I would dare fire and flames.” 

‘'And for that very reason,” said Julian, who 
was deeply touched by the ardent attachment of 
his friend, ‘‘they are tearing you away from me. 
But this cannot be the will of the fates; we shall 
meet again in Gaul at some time or other. Al- 
ready are some of these spies of Augustus begin- 
ning to come over to me; and I know how to 
manage the rest of them.” 

“ The rising sun will always find worshippers,” 
replied Tigranes. 

“ Yes,” exclaimed Julian, “for their own inter- 
est; but from affection, you Tigranes, you alone, 
or perhaps a very few others !” 

And with these words Julian broke off* the con- 
versation on this point. He invited his friend to 
stay and accept the hospitality of the camp, warning 
him at the same time to be very careful about his 
conversation at table ; to speak only of Athens, of 
their former fellow-students, or of any trifles or 
harmless gossip, so as not to excite the suspicions 
of the most watchful. Meanwhile he would pre- 
pare a most important letter requiring the greatest 
secrecy, which he would never have intrusted to 
another, and which he would hand to him that 
night. 

The remainder of the morning was taken up by 


86 


Tigranes, 

a council of war, in which the officers, who had their 
instructions from the Emperor, were unanimous in 
declaring that no campaign could be opened at 
such an advanced stage of the season, that the best 
course was to avail themselves of this period of 
necessary inactivity to make ample preparations 
for an energetic spring campaign, when they might 
confidently advance and display the imperial 
standards before the enemy. Julian, inwardly 
writhing with vexation and impatience, feigned 
great satisfaction, and praised the prudent foresight 
of his advisers, flattering himself the while that in 
proportion as he increased the distance between 
himself and his uncle he could bring them more 
completely under his control. On dismissing the 
officers he gave orders for the breaking up of the 
camp on the next morning, when the whole army 
should march to Segusium. Then calling for the 
chief secretary of the imperial staff, he directed 
him, with a great show of important business, to 
write at once to the officers in command at Matis- 
cona, Augustodunum, Treviri,* and such other 
cities on their route as possessed important mili- 
tary depots, while he himself dictated other letters 
full of the most extravagant adulation to the hated 
Constantins. 

But amid all these cares and preparations for the 
march of his troops, the mind of Julian was full of 
the important mission which he was about to 

* These cities, the present Macon, Autun, and Treves or Triers, 
were, at the time of our narrative, the chief military depots in 
Gaul. 


The Secret Mission. 


87 


intrust to Tigranes; and when, at night, he had dis- 
missed the officers, and remained alone with Oriba- 
sius, ostensibly to enjoy their usual study of phi- 
losophy, a long and earnest discussion followed 
concerning the letter to be sent to the high-priest 
of the temple at Carrhae. Oribasius, who was 
deeply versed in all the mysteries of theurgy, 
maintained that a mere letter was not sufficient for 
Julian’s purpose, but that he must send some arti- 
cle of his own personal property and daily use, 
without which no response was ever given to a dis- 
tant inquirer. 

“But what can I send,” asked Julian, “wffiich 
would not direct suspicion against me if found 
upon Tigranes by the spies of Constantins ?” 

“You may remember,” replied Oribasius, “that 
Serenian of Phoenicia sent to consult the goddess 
of Pessinus concerning his design upon the 
imperial purple; and on that occasion he sent a 
cap which he was in the habit of wearing.” * 

* Serenian, according to Ammianus, sent his cap by the mes- 
senger who consulted the oracle in his behalf. This circumstance 
is mentioned here to show that the modern spiritists have 
invented nothing even in this particular. It was usual at that 
time for the devils to require some article used by the absent 
person in whose name they were consulted ; just as now they 
require a letter, an autograph, a lock of hair, or something of 
the kind. What is the difference? The author has personally 
inspected a goblet corresponding '\^ith the description above 
given, which was shown him by a distinguished Neapolitan 
archaeologist. There will be further occasion hereafter to speak 
about the temple of the goddess at Carrhae. 


88 


Tigranes. 

“No, no, not that!” said Julian. “You must 
find something else not so well known.” 

Oribasius ran over the various minor articles of 
furniture in the imperial tent, and finally hit upon 
a silver drinking-cup, around the bowl of which 
were delicately enchased representations of the 
successive stages in the journey from Rome to 
Ctesiphon in Persia. 

“Ah I” he exclaimed, “here is something which 
is safe from all danger of suspicion. Even 
Tigranes need not know to what use it is to 
be put. You can tell him that it is a gift to the 
high-priest, and in the letter you can explain its 
purport.” 

Julian adopted the proposition with great satis- 
faction. It remained however to consecrate the 
cup according to the magic rites. This was soon 
done, for Julian’s medical man was as much a 
dealer in magic as in the healing art. Without 
further delay, then, he produced a little roll of 
parchment, on which were written many valuable 
recipes, and which he always carried about with 
him as a necessary part of his stock in trade. But 
this bit of writing was more valuable to him for 
another reason; cunningly inscribed in cypher, 
amid the figures with which the scroll was thickly 
bordered, were the words of the necessary incanta- 
tions. Julian sat holding the cup in both hands, 
while his friend went through the required forms, 
consisting of various passes, very much like those 
of our mesmerizers, and other motions accom- 


The Secret Mission. 


89 


panied by certain magic formulas, until the cup 
was duly consecrated to the divinity of Carrhae, 
the goddess of the moon. The next consideration 
was the wording of the letter. 

“It is not hard to hide a letter,” said Oribasius, 
“and besides, Tigranes is skilful enough. But the 
point now is to state the case exactly, so as to 
leave no room for misunderstanding, and to 
acquaint the high-priest, at the same time, with 
the response already given by the goddess at 
Turin.” 

The letter was accordingly writterr by Oribasius, 
in the name of Julian, promising ample requital if 
the priest at Carrhae should succeed in sending by 
safe conveyance a favorable response. It recom- 
mended the bearer as in every way most trust- 
worthy, — a very model of fidelity. Still, as he was 
not one of the initiated, caution was necessary in 
dealing with him, as the least breath of suspicion 
whispered into the ear of Constantins would jeop- 
ard not only the life of the sacrificing priest, but 
ev^en that of Julian himself; for the emperor was 
exhausting his ingenuity in devising the severest 
penalties against all dealers in magic arts, and 
already the West was trembling at the cruelty of 
the punishments inflicted. The letter closed with 
Julian’s acknowledgments of services received from 
the high-priest while in Nicomedia, and with fresh 
promises even more brilliant than the former. 
Oribasius read and re-read the letter several times, 
changed and improved parts, then wrote it anew 


90 


Tigranes. 

according to Julian’s idea; and finally sealed it 
with as much trepidation as if he were committing 
to it the lives of himself and his patron. 

It was not long after the conclusion of this im- 
portant missive when the light and cautious step 
of Tigranes was heard at the entrance of the tent. 
He was coming to take leave of his friend and 
patron. Julian, who always treated his confiden- 
tial friends with the greatest familiarity, received 
Tigranes most affectionately ; he spoke of their 
friendship and of their common joys and labors at 
Athens; and*having thus cautiously sounded the 
state of his feelings, asked him whether he felt 
disposed to run some risk out of love for his old 
friend. Tigranes protested more warmly than ever 
that he was ready to incur any danger in Julian’s 
service. And in this he was sincere; for his 
remembrance of the treatment received from Con- 
stantins at the palace gate, his real admiration for 
Julian’s good qualities, the persecution to which 
he now saw him subjected, the great dignity lately 
conferred upon the young Caesar, — a dignity next 
to the highest then known in the world, — the true 
and warm friendship which Julian had always 
shown towards him, and the satisfaction he natu- 
rally felt at being asked to serve a Caesar in a 
confidential mission — all contributed to make him 
willing and even desirous of undertaking any task 
however hazardous in his patron’s interest. And 
so he replied at once that he was ready to risk his 
life and all he had besides in the service of Caesar, 


The Secret Mission. 


91 

and that he would even look upon it as a great 
privilege to be allowed to do so. 

“And indeed,” said Julian, “it is actually a mat- 
ter of life and death ; I tremble with apprehension 
as I hand you this letter.” 

“Great God!” exclaimed Tigranes, “and is this 
all? To be the bearer of this letter!” 

“Yes, it is all,” replied Julian. “But that same 
little letter is of such importance that if it should 
happen to be found upon you, both your life and 
mine would pay for it — which, may the gods 
avert !” 

“What! Is there any treason in this?” asked 
Tigranes. “ Speak freely ; for even should I feel 
bound to refuse you my assistance, yet will I never 
betray you. Tigranes can never be a traitor!” 

“ It is perfectly harmless,” returned Julian; “it 
contains nothing against Augustus. To tell you 
the truth, it is a mere act of curiosity, or devotion, 
or perhaps you would call it weakness. In a word, 
I want a response from the oracle of the great god- 
dess of Carrhae.” 

Tigranes could hardly restrain a burst of con- 
temptuous laughter, but checking this natural 
impulse, he asked : “ And is this all ; to carry this 
letter, and bring back the answer secretly? You 
know, Caesar, that for me Carrhae is not the other 
end of the earth. My own home, in Antioch, is 
half way there already; but even supposing that I 
had to swim to the Ultima Thule for it, it would 
be but a trifle to me. Set your mind at rest on 


92 


Tigranes, \ \ 

this point; for as soon as the deep snows of Meso- 
potamia have begun to melt, I shall get over those 
mountains so nicely that not even keen old Argus, 
with his hundred eyes, could catch a glimpse of 
me or of my shadow/' 

But I forgot to say that I meant to send a cup 
as a gift to the high-priest," said Julian. 

“ Very good," replied Tigranes cheerfully, “ let- 
ter, cup, and anything else .you please !" 

Julian handed him the letter, which he received 
with a significant smile; and after balancing it a 
moment on his hand, as if to try its weight, 
Here," said he, in a tone half-playful, half- 
serious, ‘Ms a letter all about the imperial purple. 
Now why take the trouble to send all the way to 
the Moon at Carrhae? I take upon myself to 
promise it to you ; if you only know how to keep 
off the flies, no one can take it from you. Are 
you not the only nephew of Constantins? Docs 
not the blood of Constantine flow through your 
veins ?" 

“Tigranes," exclaimed Julian, “you can always 
read my heart through my features! I can hide 
nothing from you. You have all my confidence. i 
But swear to me, my friend." 

“ My word alone is a sufficient oath," answered 
Tigranes, “ when I pledge it to a Caesar who claims 
it from me as a friend." 

“But why do you decline to confirm it by an 
oath?" asked Julian. 

“ By what divinity can I swear ?" asked Tigranes. 


The Secret Mission. 


93 


I 


I 

I 


II 


** The gods of Olympus I do not adore, the God of 
the Christians I do not know.” 

‘*Then swear by what you hold most sacred.” 

At this appeal of his friend, Tigranes raised his 
right hand, and said, in a tone of deep solemnity: 
“ I swear by the God of heaven and earth ; I swear 
by the manes of my fathers ; I swear by the sacred 
bond of friendship, that I will faithfully fulfil your 
commission, and that through me it shall never be 
known to mortal man !” 

Julian was deeply moved by the evident earnest- 
ness and sincerity of Tigranes, and clasping him in 
his arms, swore that his proof of his friend’s fidelity 
was more precious to him than the coveted purple 
of the Csesars. He then went on to tell him how 
already several times in Asia and in Greece, and 
even on the very day before, the gods had prom- 
ised him the empire ; but now that the clouds of 
adversity seemed to be gathering on his path, that 
he thought it well to consult the great oracle of 
Carrhae, so deeply venerated throughout the East, 
and that in fact the gods had even directed him to 
do so. ” May the gods grant,” he added, ‘'that on 
your return you may find me in a position to 
reward you as you deserve, and as I would wish.” 

”At any rate,” said Tigranes, as he took his 
leave, “ I am satisfied that I shall find you vic- 
torious over the barbarians, master of these prov- 
inces, and freed from the trammels of court-paid 
espionage. I only regret that I shall not be 
present when you enter upon your consulship. 


94 


Tigranes. 

which will most certainly be next year. How- 
ever,’* he concluded, “I now congratulate you 
with all my heart in advance.’* 

The waning hours of the night had been spent 
in these important preparations, and whilst these 
last protestations of friendship were exchanged, 
the first rays of early morning were already begin- 
ning to light up the praetorium ; and outside they 
could hear the neighing of the horses as they were 
led to water, the rumbling of the baggage- wagons 
and the bustle which always betokens the prepara- 
tions for breaking up an encampment. Julian 
knew that his officers might come in at any mo- 
ment now, in accordance with their daily custom 
of waiting on him early in the morning, and as he 
was anxious not to be found by them in private 
conference with a stranger, he called for horses 
and invited Tigranes to ride with him through 
the camp, which now presented a lively scene. 
Under-officers and legionaries were hurrying about 
through the morning mist busily preparing for the 
march ; some were burnishing their arms and their 
shields, some were providently stowing away pro- 
visions for the route, while others with equal care 
replenished their flasks, constant companions in 
every season. The tents were fast disappearing on 
every side, and were then packed on the backs of 
sumpter-mules, while tent-mates divided among 
themselves the stakes which they always carried 
with them on the march; and so of all tne portable 
materials that constituted the encampment. Every- 


The Secret Mission, 


95 


thing was soon ready for a general movement, 
and as Julian rode through the various divisions 
he was everywhere enthusiastically greeted by the 
troops, who now stood in order only awaiting the 
signal to start. 

On his return to the praetorium, he found that it 
was already packed upon the wagons, and the 
whole train was drawn up ready to follow the army 
as soon as it should move. The officers met him as 
he approached and stood respectfully awaiting his 
commands. Julian saluted them courteously, and 
pointing to the towering summits that lined the 
horizon, exclaimed: “See! the Alps stand before 
us with their glaciers, their eternal snows and 
biting frosts, their precipices and deep chasms. 
Forward, my friends, cheerfully! I shall go before 
you as your scout and your leader. As to what 
awaits us beyond, that shall be as heaven pleases!’* 

“ Yes !*’ cried Tigranes, “ Hercules and Hannibal, 
and Constantine crossed them before, and in our 
own day the divine Constantins has followed in 
their footsteps! They all found glory awaiting 
them on either side of those mighty hills!” 

“Ah, fortunate youth,” said Julian, turning to 
his friend, “how much easier and safer is your 
path to glory in Athens, beneath the porticoes of 
Libanius, of Himerius and Proeresius ! Tell them 
there, that of all their lessons I have kept only that 
saying of Socrates, ‘ I know only one thing, which 
is, that I know nothing.’ From the schools to the 
battle-field, from the pallium to the purple” — 


96 Tigranesl 

'‘And to succeed brilliantly in both,’* interrupted 
Tigranes, “ is true glory.” 

“ Bravo !” cried the officers, applauding. “Well 
said ! so say we too.” 

“ Well,” continued Tigranes, “ I shall tell the 
orators of Athens and Antioch to prepare their 
panegyrics.” 

“Yes, for Augustus and for my brave fellow- 
soldiers here,” replied Julian. 

“For all,” said the officers. “Long live Con- 
stantins ! Long live Julian ! 

“Be it then for all,” said Julian. “And with 
this happy omen, tribune, give the signal for the 
march.” 

The first sound of the trumpet was greeted by 
the legions with a loud cheer; the second, by 
louder acclamations ; at the third signal, the whole 
army, amid the wildest enthusiasm and with deaf- 
ening cheers, began to move. At first there was 
a surging as of a mighty mass of waters, then 
column after column broke away like successive 
billows, from the main body, with shields and 
lances glittering in the rays of the morning sun, 
eagles soaring and standards waving ; and soon the 
whole armed mass was passing out through the 
praetorian gate. Tigranes gazed for a moment on 
the brilliant and exciting scene ; then pressing to 
his lips the purple mantle of Julian, he turned his 
horse’s rein and spurred away on his secret mis.sion. 


VI. 


THE VETERAN. 

f AVORING winds wafted Tigranes over a 
stormless sea to Antioch, where he had 
determined to spend the remainder of the 
winter, though his eager desire to fulfil the 
great commission entrusted to him by Julian had 
already carried him on in thought to Carrhae. At 
home his arrival was as unexpected as it was glad- 
dening to the aged protector of his youthful days. 

Cloudless skies, a mild temperature, a teeming 
soil and a majestic stream, bearing upon its bosom 
the heaviest ships of burden, were the gifts lavished 
by a partial nature on queenly Antioch. And so 
well had art seconded nature in the embellishment 
of this splendid mart, that in all the East the 
Roman Emperors possessed no nobler residence. 
Here Gallus, brother to Julian, held his court, 
when he was summoned by Constantins to Illyria, 
to meet the death prepared for him by the Empe- 
ror, who was as unfortunate in the choice of his 
successor as he had been cruel in the fate inflicted 
upon his murdered nephew. Constantins himself 
had not been insensible to the claims of this resi- 
dence, and here he spent several winters with his 
army during his long and disgraceful wars with the 

97 


98 


Tig Junes. 


Persians. He had, moreover, started some vast 
undertakings in the roadstead of Seleucia, where 
he was cutting out of the solid rock a harbor for 
the navy and merchant marine of the ever-growing 
empire, whose immense traffic was no longer satis- 
fied with the great naval stations on the Orontes. 
Antioch, like all the other great cities, had fallen 
under the influence of paganism. In the schools 
of literature and eloquence, the chairs were, for the 
most part, filled by pagans : magicians, teachers of 
the occult sciences, and priests of the heathen mys- 
teries abounded, and their impious gains were great- 
ly increased by the neighborhood of two renowned 
sanctuaries, to which were attached many ancient 
and deep-rooted superstitions. One was a temple 
of Jupiter, which stood on a hill overlooking the 
city ; the other, which was within the suburbs of the 
city, was dedicated to Apollo. But even these tem- 
ples were less faithfully attended than the theatres 
and hippodromes, and the people of Antioch were 
notorious throughout the whole East for their pas- 
sion for games, comedies and the sports of the cir- 
cus. The very Christians were carried away by the 
general enthusiasm, and sometimes took sides as 
furiously as the pagans in the factions between 
rival actors, which gave occasion to those splendid 
flights of indignant eloquence by which their fellow- 
citizen, St John Chrysostom, tried some years later 
to recall them to a sense of their true position. But 
at the period of which we are now writing, John 
was a mere child, the only joy of his saintly mother. 


The Veteran, 


99 


Among the many palatial mansions of Antioch, 
one of the stateliest was that of an old veteran 
named Placidus. He was a man of strictly regular 
habits, often stern, and sometimes even crabbed in 
manner, but always kind in his dealings with infe- 
riors, so that he was feared and yet sincerely loved 
by his slaves. Among these was one Armenian, 
who was also a Christian ; his prudence and steadi- 
ness had so completely won him the confidence of 
his master, that the whole management of the 
household had gradually passed into his hands, 
and he was now a slave only in name. His master 
called him by the significant name of Pistos, faith- 
ful, in consideration of qualities which were a kind 
of mystery to his fellow-slaves. 

The military career of Placidus had been long 
and glorious; and it was his great delight, just as 
it always has been, and always will be the delight 
of every true veteran, to recount the battles and 
the achievements of his earlier years. He generally 
began by the Italian campaign under Constantine, 
whom the enthusiastic old soldier never mentioned 
without the title of “Divine,” and he never forgot 
to premise, parenthetically, that he was himself, at 
that time, a handsome youth of about twenty-two, 
graceful, vigorous, and of fair complexion. His 
audience on such occasions, generally consisted of 
the guests invited to his table, and they always 
came prepared to hear the detailed and authentic 
story of the defeat of Licinius at Adrianople. Now 
it was a noticeable fact that Placidus never went 


lOO 


Tigranes. 

into particulars about his campaigns under Con- 
stantins, and that he was especially reticent con- 
cerning the march into Persia, where he had com- 
manded for a whole year, and had spent several 
more as a prisoner. Of course each one inter- 
preted this silence according to his own views; 
some thought it the mere forgetfulness of an old 
man, others attributed it to his military pride; and 
indeed Placidus was heartily ashamed of those 
Persian campaigns in which Constantins, who 
made such a gallant show when he fought against 
unarmed priests, won nothing by his notable inca- 
pacity but some very hard knocks and disgrace 
for the Roman name. But there was another 
thought, far more serious than this, which tended 
to make the remembrance of Persia ungrateful to 
the old veteran, especially now that he felt, day by 
day, the weakness of old age creeping over his 
frame, and all those other indications which tell of 
approaching dissolution. Placidus was a Christian ; 
he had not wavered in the open profession of his 
faith, even in the camps. But while a captive of 
the Persians, he concealed his religion at court, in 
order to retain the favor of the king, who had 
brought him there and who had showed him every 
mark of distinguished honor. P'rom that time 
forth he had been seen no more among the Chris- 
tians when they met for divine worship; and 
though he often felt a strong impulse moving him 
to return to his former state by a public reconcilia- 
tion with the Church, he had put off the act from 


The Veter^an. 


loi 


day to day and from year to year, until now he 
found himself close to the brink of the grave with 
that sacred duty still undone. 

There were at this time in Antioch two holy 
widows, Publia and Anthusa, well known to all 
the Christians. Publia, who was well advanced in 
years, had been made a deaconess and directress 
of a celebrated monastery of vjrgins consecrated to 
God. Anthusa was young, not much more than 
twenty, possessed of great wealth and every per- 
sonal attraction. The death of her husband, Se- 
cundus, who had been a distinguished officer and 
an intimate friend of Placidus, left her with one 
little son, named John, better known at a later day 
by the glorious historical name of Chrysostom, a 
surname won by his marvellous eloquence. These 
two holy women were very desirous to bring back 
Placidus to the path of duty, and, under the pre- 
text of not leaving their aged friend altogether to 
the care, of slaves, they attended to him in his de- 
clining years with the most patient assiduity, 
lavishing upon him the most delicate attentions, 
and seeking always a favorable opportunity for 
effecting their main purpose. The generous en- 
deavors of these pious matrons was blessed with 
the desired success, and Anthusa one day found 
the old man in such dispositions that she saw the 
occasion offered to her of introducing the topic 
she had so much at heart. 

“Tribune,” said the holy widow, “it is quite 
commonly believed among the Christians here 


102 


Tigranes. 

that you were baptized in your infancy; and 
everybody is surprised at not seeing you, since 
your residence in Antioch, attend any of the 
meetings of the faithful or show any sign of 
Christian piety,'" 

“I cannot," replied Placidus, “I cannot; there 
is an obstacle in the way." 

" And what is the great obstacle, if I may ask 
the question?" inquired Anthusa. 

" It is very serious, very serious. Yes, it is an 
insurmountable one," said the veteran. 

“ But in your present declining state of health," 
urged the pious lady, "it would be well to secure 
your eternal safety, even though it should cost 
some trouble.” 

Placidus heaved a deep sigh, and turning to 
Anthusa, exclaimed: "Ah! holy lady, you have 
passed the years of your life in doing good. You 
have been an example to young maidens, the envy 
of matrons, now you are a model for holy widows 
and the admiration of the whole city. To you, 
then, it seems easy to be virtuous. But you 
mistake. No; it is too hard for an old sinner to 
be restored to the congregation of the faithful. 
And then to whom can I go ? I have no confi- 
dence at all in this new bishop forced upon us by 
the emperor. I am a son of St. Peter; I was 
baptized at his tomb. I hold the faith of Nice; I 
adore Jesus Christ, true God, equal to the F'ather 
and to the Holy Ghost, and I cannot hold 
any communion with an Arian. If I have been 


The Veteran. 


103 

weak in faith, still I cannot and will not be a 
heretic ! ” 

Anthusa was overjoyed at this clear and vigor- 
ous profession of faith, which was so much more 
than she had expected. She foresaw that it would 
not be hard now to gain the desired end; and so 
with kind and encouraging words she urged him 
to overcome the weak fear of a momentary humil- 
iation, assuring him also that he need not have 
recourse to the Arian bishop. 

‘‘ And is there another bishop besides the Empe- 
ror’s ?” asked the old man, who knew little or 
nothing about details in Church matters. 

No,” replied Anthusa, ” but Paulinus is our 
pastor. We are in communion with Bishop 
Athanasius of Alexandria, and with the Bishop 
of Rome.” 

“And who is this Paulinus?” 

“ He is a zealous priest, who supplies the place 
of the bishop until we can have a Catholic 
Bishop.” 

Whilst these first steps were being taken towards 
effecting a reconciliation between Placidus and the 
Church of his baptism, Tigranes was entering the 
city of Antioch. His unexpected arrival in the 
home of his youth startled the household. One 
of the slaves hastened to the apartment of Placidus 
with the news, “ Tigranes has come ! ” 

“Tigranes!” exclaimed the old Tribune, in 
astonishment: “How can that be?” 

“ It is true. He is in the atrium — here he is 1” 


104 Tigranes. 

In fact, Tigranes was crossing the threshold of 
the room. In a moment more his arms were 
about the neck of his aged father, who pressed his 
beloved Tigranes to his heart, unable to utter more 
than a few indistinct words for very joy. 

It was not easy for Tigranes to give account for 
his sudden arrival. The secret mission, which was 
the only real cause of his journey, was an invio- 
lable secret; and no other motive seemed to him 
quite sufficient. Still, his quick-witted ingenuity 
found means to explain his coming. Besides, old 
Placid us was so much pleased at the thought of 
having Tigranes by his side in these last days of 
his life, that he was disposed to be quite easily 
satisfied with any reasons that might be advanced 
for this unexpected return. But this difficulty 
overcome, Tigranes found himself very much per- 
plexed about his mission to the high-priest at 
Carrhae. He felt that such a transaction was not 
at all compatible with the earnest desire he had for 
some time felt of receiving baptism, a desire which 
had been much strengthened by the words of 
Basil and Gregory, with whom he had sojourned 
at Athens on his homeward journey. His embar- 
rassment was increased by the critical condition of 
Placidus, by the earnest admonitions of the now 
penitent old man, and especially by an impressive 
ceremony at which he requested Tigranes to be 
present. In accordance with the arrangements 
already made, the holy Priest Paulinus came with 
the deacons and several of the faithful of Antioch, 


The Veteran. 


105 

to receive back into the arms of the Church the 
repentant tribune. A servant was sent to summon 
Tigranes. 

‘‘Sir, your father desires your presence.'* 

** Has he grown worse?” asked Tigranes, anx- 
iously. 

“No, sir, but there is a stranger with him, a man 
of grave countenance. They have been in close 
consultation for some time; perhaps he wishes you 
to witness the signing of his will.” 

This unexpected summons, and the mention of 
the will, startled Tigranes, and he hastened with 
feelings of apprehension to his father’s apartment. 
On entering the room he saw that his father was 
already surrounded by several persons unknown to 
him; close at the side of the sick bed sat a man of 
venerable aspect, and near him two others of like 
appearance and dress. They all wore tunics of a 
sober hue, over which was thrown a poor cloak; 
their hair was cut close, but they wore full beards.* 
Tigranes knew afterwards that these strangers were 
the Priest Paulinus and two deacons. Several 
Christian citizens of Antioch stood around, among 
them Flavian, afterwards Patriarch of Antioch, and 
at the foot of the bed knelt the two holy widows, 
Publia and Anthusa, both modestly veiled, and 

* Such was the dress of the clergy of that period — vid. 
Thomassin, vdm et nova eccl. disdpl., t. I. p. 335. Ed. Lucca, 
1728. The same author speaks, t. III. p.' 622, of the priests who^ 
in Antioch, received back those who had fallen from the faith, 
though this solemn duty was generally reserved to the bishops. 


io6 Tigranes, 

interested spectators of the solemn scene due to 
their pious exertions. As soon as Tigranes 
entered, Placidus addressed him in a tone of deep 
emotion : 

“ My son, you see me now on the extreme verge 
of life. At such a moment men do not deceive 
themselves ; and now, whilst in the full possession 
of my faculties, I have called you and these, my 
brethren, to witness the solemn act I am about to 
perform. I trust that the remembrance of this 
hour may remain with you through life for your 
own greatest advantage. You know that my 
career has been long and, in the eyes of the 
world, not without glory. My military honors I 
hold from the noblest of the Caesars, my friends 

have been always among the most illustrious of 

my fellow-citizens; and even in the disastrous 
moment of my captivity in Persia, fortune still 
smiled on me, (or the Great King summoned me 
to his Court and loaded me with favors. Now 

remember what I say to you. Of all this great 

prosperity not one memory gives me any comfort 
now, my only hope and joy is the remembrance of 
my baptism. Would to God that I had been more 
faithful to its obligations in my profession and in 
my actions ! But since I have, through my own 
guilt, shamefully failed in my duty, I desire nov/ 
to make an humble confession of my fault in the 
sight of my brethren, and especially before you, 
whom I should have more faithfully trained up by 
word and example in the Christian faith. Yet I 


The l^eter^an. 


107 


feel the assurance that your years, your mature 
understanding and your deep studies, vvill enable 
you to understand all that I would, but cannot, 
say to you now.” 

Tigranes was too deeply moved to speak. It 
was as if scales had fallen from his eyes ; he had 
never known before that Placidus was a baptized 
Christian. Placidus, turning to the priest, con- 
tinued : 

“ Minister of God, I, Placidus, in all humility 
confess to the Church and to my brethren that I 
have deeply sinned in preferring the honors of the 
world before my duty to God and to my religion; 
for many years, while in Persia, I abstained alto- 
gether from taking any part in the sacred rites of 
the Christians. I would wish now to appear in 
mourning garb among the other penitents at the 
doors of the Basilica, to make public reparation for 
my crime; but since lam prevented by sickness 
from carrying out my desire, I confess my sin 
before these representatives of the faithful, and 
implore the indulgence of God and of the Church. 
Minister of forgiveness, restore me to favor with 
Almighty God, P'ather, Son and Holy Ghost; and 
you, brethren, pray to God for me.” 

Then Paulinus with his deacons drew near to the 
couch of the penitent, and the priest, bending over 
him with a look of mingled solemnity, and yet of 
great mildness, spoke slowly and distinctly : “ My 
brother, the grace of God moves you to penance; 
blessed be His infinite goodness. Therefore I 


io8 Tigranes. 

who, though unworthy, exercise the office of dis- 
penser of His heavenly mercies, do now receive 
you back in His Name into the arms of Holy 
Church. But yet remember that if the merciful 
Redeemer allowed Himself to be moved to for- 
giveness of the repentant Magdalen, she had before 
washed His adorable feet with her tears. You too, 
then, shall enjoy the pardon and peace of the 
Redeemer, if you have wept over your sins.** 

All were deeply moved by the scene and by the 
words of the priest ; every eye was wet, and even 
Paulinus wiped the tears which flowed down his 
cheeks. Tigranes looked like a man rapt out of 
himself. Placidus extended his arms on the pillow 
in the form of a cross, and with streaming eyes 
replied: ‘‘Just and merciful is your sentence, my 
father. Do not forsake me in this moment of great 
peril ; let me see you by my side, that I may open 
my heart to you and confess to you my iniquities 
in the bitterness of my soul. And now, until I can 
hope to receive the great happiness of full absolu- 
tion at your hands, as a sign of the sincere sorrow 
to which I devote myself for the future, I wish to 
do penance in sackcloth and ashes.** 

Then taking a handful of ashes from a dish which 
he had ordered to be brought to his bedside, he 
scattered it over his gray hairs, and on his face and 
breast. Anthusa helped him to cover his head 
with a cloth of coarse stuff. The priest laid his 
hand upon the sick man while the deacon pro- 
nounced the formula, “ Penitents, bow your heads;** 


The Veteran. 


109 


after which Paulinus pronounced the form of 
prayer by which Placidus was admitted into the 
number of the Penitents. Then with an expression 
of still greater mildness he embraced Placidus and 
added : “ Brother, take heart. The Church does 
not pronounce the words of pardon at once, because 
she wishes to pardon more securely; but she is 
not reluctant, much less implacable. She is indeed 
a most tender mother, and so, following the merci- 
ful spirit of the sacred Canons, I shall not measure 
your penance by the length of the time, but by the 
deep sincerity of its expression in you, especially 
should your sickness place you soon in immediate 
danger, which may God avert! Meanwhile I shall 
remember you particularly at the Holy Sacrifice 
in the prayer for the Penitents.’' 

Placidus found new life and strength in the com- 
forting promises of the holy priest. During the 
following days he held long conversations on 
spiritual things, either with Paulinus or with some 
of the brethren who visited him frequently, but 
especially with the pious widows who had been so 
instrumental in procuring for him his present 
happiness. He sent large alms to be distributed 
to the poor and to the needy widows. He often 
envied those fortunate penitents who could pros- 
trate themselves at the doors of the churches to 
confess their sins with greater humiliation, and ask 
the common prayers of the faithful; still he did 
not neglect to do what he could, and so he strove 
to draw down the divine mercy by deep contrition 


no 


Tigranes. 

of heart, by sacramental confession and by showing 
every sign of a perfect amendment. And now 
especially did he strive to discharge towards Ti- 
granes every duty of a Christian parent. Feeling 
that he had too often given him occasion of scandal 
by his profane life, he took every opportunity now 
of repairing the evil as far as he could, by often 
speaking with the youth on religious subjects, 
sometimes directly and urgently, at others in a 
more indirect and insinuating way, but on every 
occasion he managed to bring the conversation to 
that point, and always wound up by urging Tigranes 
to enroll himself at once among the Catechumens. 

One evening, Tigranes was setting in order a 
suit of armor which hung upon the wall opposite 
to the couch of Placidus. It consisted of a coat of 
mail, supported by a lance which passed through 
it and held it upright ; the whole was surmounted 
by a bright helmet. On one side were two javelins, 
crossed over the sword ; on the other, the buckler. 
Placidus asked him to burnish the circlet of fine 
gold which ran round the top of the helmet, just 
below the crest. Tigranes observed that the crest 
consisted of a cross, surrounded by rays, and under 
it the letters, I. H. V. 

What is the meaning of these letters ?” asked 
Tigranes. 

“ I thought that you knew that,” answered Pla- 
cidus. ‘‘ It is the Latin inscription of the great 
victory of the divine Constantine ; it was first in- 
scribed on our armor when we were marching on 


The Veteran. 


Ill 


Rome, against the terrible Maxentius. Then each 
one wrote or scratched it as best he could, but as 
soon as we entered the city I had mine engraved, 
as you see it there, by a skilful artist. It will be 
a memorial of your father.’* 

‘‘ Now I remember that I have heard you speak 
of it before. If I remember well, it means, ‘ In hoc 
vincel^ Am I right?” 

At the mention of the inscription, a spark of the 
old fire flashed forth for a moment from the failing 
eyes of the aged veteran. Raising his withered 
arm from the pillow on which it rested, he pointed 
upward with his finger as if he saw again the glo- 
rious vision in the glowing sky, and exclaimed : 

'In hoc vince! The cross ! the cross ! See the 
triumphal sign that overcomes the profane standards 
of pagan antiquity ! VVith this sign the divine 
Constantine led us on to certain victory! Oh, it 
was glorious to march to the strife behind this 
standard 1” 

A little of his old pagan malice was stirred up 
in the breast of Tigranes by the enthusiasm of his 
father, and he could not help interposing: 

“And yet it did not always conquer. It seems 
to me that our Persian campaign was not too glo- 
rious.” 

“ But who bore the Labarum in those encoun- 
ters?” cried the old tribune, with a burst of lofty 
indignation. ‘'We all know too well. God did 


* In this conquer. 


II2 


Tigranes. 

not promise miraculous victories under this stan- 
dard forever! And in Persia, it was not victory 
that played false to the Labarum of Constantine, 
but the Labarum of Constantine was false to vic- 
tory. For he was threatening the unbelievers with 
the cross, who was himself a worse enemy to the 
Crucified than the unbelievers themselves.’* 

“And yet,” suggested Tigranes, who did not 
fully understand the import of the old man’s words, 
“Constantins is a Christian!” 

“A Christian!” continued Placidus with the 
same animation, “Constantins a Christian! Yes, 
just as Scipio was called the African from the 
country which he had ruined! You do not yet 
understand what an evil thing it is to countenance 
the cursed heresy of the Arians. They are the 
worst enemies of Jesus Christ who deny Him 
divine worship, thus setting up paganism again in 
the midst of Christianity. I declare to you that 
rather than have any part with one of those blas- 
phemers, I should have preferred to die without 
any formal act of reconciliation with the Church, 
at least through their hands, and I should have 
relied for pardon on the mercy of the Lord who 
searches all hearts. But bear well in mind what I 
now say to you, my dear Tigranes, Constantins 
will meet with a wretched and untimely fate, and 
that before very long. Every Emperor who raised 
his hand against the Church of Christ has perished 
miserably, leaving a name covered with infamy and 
contempt. Would you know how many of those 


The Veteran, 


113 

vipers, clothed in the imperial purple, I have seen 
crushed to the earth, and still venting their rage 
against the crucified God ? May that meek and 
merciful Saviour have mercy on me, now that I 
confess my fault and pray for pardon ; for I have 
seen His dreadful vengeance fall on some eighteen 
of those unhappy wretches. It is not an old 
legend; I saw it all with my own eyes. I saw 
Diocletian and Maximian Herculeus, Severus and 
Galerius, Maximinus, Maxentius and Licinius, with 
all their jewelled diadems, and their vast armies, 
which covered the land and the sea, all end misera- 
bly — one by the halter, another by poison, a third 
rotting alive and breeding vermin, like a corpse. 
And their queens, too, I have seen starving and 
begging for the poorest necessaries of life, mur- 
dered by the dagger in the hands of their own 
offspring, and even here, in this very Antioch, 
hurled through the palace windows into the 
Orontes. I know very well that our faithless 
Emperor proclaims everywhere that the bishops 
abuse his clemency, that the Bishop of Rome 
refuses to hear his friendly counsels. Yes, it is 
the old story of the wolf and the lamb. But many 
wolves that would have torn that lamb, have left 
their teeth behind. ‘ That was a mere chance,’ say 
the pagan sophists. I know it; but I know, too, 
that though the vengeance may seem to be long 
coming, yet come it will with a dreadful certainty. 
And I tell you, too, that the wrath of God has 
long been gathering over that traitor’s head!” 


1 1 4 Tigranes, 

Tigranes trembled lest some listener might hear 
those stern threats uttered against the Emperor, 
and he tried to turn the current of the old man’s 
thoughts. But all in vain ; Placidus, weakened 
and failing as he was, seemed inspired, and his 
eyes flashed with an unnatural brightness : “ Why/' 
he continued in the same strain, ‘‘ why does not 
some worthy scion of the great Constantine rise 
up now to heal the wounds inflicted upon the 
Church by this blinded Emperor! Julian, I trust, 
Julian will be the man. He who, with his own 
hand here, built up the temple of St Mamas, here 
he prayed, here he adored Christ 1”. . . . 

Tigranes involuntarily shook his head with a 
look which said, more plainly than words could 
have done, It may be, but it is not probable.” 

What!” exclaimed Placidus, who had read the 
thought; “do you mean that Julian is no better 
than Constantins? Alas, it may be true; and the 
chalice of the divine wrath, as our Scriptures say, 
is in the hands of the Almighty ; it is not yet 
drained to the dregs, and all they who work ini- 
quity on the face of the earth shall yet drink of it. 
If Julian has betrayed the faith of his fathers, he 
may never wear that proud purple of which he is 
so greedy, or if he does, it will be his own destruc- 
tion, for God will strip it from his shoulders to the 
last shred, and he may be the last of his degene- 
rate line I” 

It was evident to all that since the day on which 
he had been ranked among the Penitents, Placidus 


The Veteran, 


115 

was a changed man. The weakness of old age 
seemed to have disappeared ; and now with his 
mind fixed solely on heaven and on the truths of 
religion, he seemed to scan the whole field within 
that vast horizon, and to contemplate it all with a 
free and fearless mind as when in the first ferv^or 
of his baptism. Tigranes watched with increasing 
wonder this renewal of life, and insensibly his filial 
affection grew into a deep veneration. But he saw 
that this long and vehement outburst of zeal and 
indignation had weakened Placidus, and drawing 
near to the couch, he kindly pressed the hands of 
his aged father in his own, and urged him to seek 
the repose he needed. 

“ True,’* answered Placidus. “ But if Paulinus 
or Anthusa should call in the morning, let them 
come to me at once, they are a source of great 
consolation to me.” 

Then settling the sackcloth upon the couch, he 
sunk back upon his pillow to seek the much 
needed repose. 


VII. 


THE SACRED LITURGY. 

f PIRITLESS and degenerate indeed must be 
he who is not impressed by the harmony, 
the grandeur, the more than earthly majesty 
of that outward worship which the Church 
of Christ is ever offering up to the one true God. 
It is true that different periods have brought in 
certain varieties in the mere disciplinary details ; 
but that essential character of divine institution, 
the spirit of mysterious symbolism which gives it 
soul and life, has stood unchanged amid the cease- 
less changes of passing centuries. And the tere- 
monial of the church to-day still breathes the 
divine fragrance of those primitive rites, from 
which it is for the most part derived. The Sacred 
Liturgy passed indeed from the upper chamber in 
Jerusalem to the abodes of the faithful, shrouded 
its hidden splendors in the catacombs, blazed out 
anew with solemn grandeur in the Basilicas, wan- 
dered forth amid camps and battle-fields under the 
standards of Constantine, flourished under the 
minarets of Byzantium, adored in hushed recol- 
lection beneath the silent domes of the Arabs, the 
Lombards and the Northern Barbarians, and devel- 
oped the great resources of its imposing ritual in 
Ii6 


J 


The Sacred Liturgy. 

the shadow of those matchless temples reared by 
Brunelleschi and Michael Angelo; and from all 
these varieties of condition and surroundings it 
borrowed new graces, shone with an ever-bright- 
ening lustre, losing, the while, nothing of that 
native beauty by which it deJights the gaze of the 
unlearned, and subdues the restless mind of the 
wonder-stricken philosopher. 

Whilst the preparations were going on in the 
dwelling of Placidus for the celebration of the 
Sacred Mysteries, Tigranes, who was beginning to 
doubt that he should be able to fulfil his commis- 
sion as soon as he had expected, withdrew to his 
room and wrote to Julian: 

“Tigranes to Julian Caesar, Greeting: Dear to 
my heart as is Antioch, my home, yet it cannot 
repay me for the great honor and happiness of 
living in familiar intercourse with you. But there 
is no release from the decrees of Heaven which 
have doomed me to lose for a time the aid of a 
powerful protector, and you, Caesar, the services 
of a most faithful servant upon whom you have, 
with so much condescension, bestowed the name 
of friend. I had thought to dispel the effects of 
this deep affliction by following the example of 
the great Ithacan, ‘ Qid mores hominunt midtorum 
vidit et urbesi when my father was seized by a 
grievous illness which ties me to his bedside with 
the bonds of filial piety. True,, this is not hard to 
me, though I certainly feel it more under the pres- 
ent circumstances, since I was already on the wing 


TigTanes. 


1 

to far-off lands. But I hope, nay I am certain, that 
the great pleasure of carrying out your wishes will 
be granted me before long. 

“ The kind words which you sent by me to your 
admirers in Athens, filled them with delight; but 
they were not an unmixed joy to me, for they 
opened anew the wound I have been bearing in 
my heart. Every tongue was heaping benedic- 
tions upon the august Constantius for his choice, 
from which all augured new glory for him and 
prosperity for the Empire. Ah ! why is the com- 
mon joy mingled, for me, with so much bitter- 
ness. And yet I will not so soon give up all 
hope. 

May the God of Heaven prosper your arms, 
and, under your auspices, may the good fortune 
of the Roman Republic ever increase.” 

He read the letter two or three times over, care- 
fully weighing every syllable, to assure himself 
that it would inform Julian of the obstacle which 
had stayed the execution of his commission, with- 
out at the same time awakening the least suspicion, 
should it chance to fall into the hands of Constan- 
tius. _The result of this minute scrutiny was a 
change in the last lines of the letter, which he 
closed thus: ‘'May the God of Heaven prosper 
the Roman arms under your conduct, and under 
the auspices of Constantius Augustus may the 
glory, of the Republic increase forever.” And 
when he had affixed the date, “ Antioch, on the 
Kalends of March, in the Consulship of Constan- 


The Sacred Liturgy, 1 1 9 

tius Augustus and of Julian Caesar,” the letter was 
ready to be sent to its destination. 

Placidus, who had in the meantime been sol- 
emnly reconciled to the Church, had not the least 
suspicion of this secret correspondence. The 
whole of this blessed day of his restoration to the 
fold of Christ he spent in thanksgiving, prayer and 
preparation for the great favor of Holy Commu- 
nion promised him for the next day. Perhaps he 
felt a presentiment that that day was to be the last 
of his career. At times he would call Tigranes, 
and bid him read slowly from a volume of the 
Holy Gospels, which lay always by his pillow, 
St. John’s narrative of the passion of Christ, or the 
sixth chapter of the same Gospel, in which are 
recorded the glorious promises of immortality 
reserved for those who partake of the Bread which 
is Christ. Meanwhile the holy deaconesses, Publia 
and Anthusa, with the help of Pistos and some 
other Christian servants of the house, were making 
due preparations for the sacred mysteries which 
were to be celebrated there on the morrow. 

In the room adjoining that in which Placidus 
lay, they prepared a temporary altar consisting of 
a costly table of ebony beautifully inlaid with gold, 
the most precious article of furniture in the rich 
mansion of Placidus. The old man, wishing to 
make the room look as much as possible like a 
church, sent for some movable columns from his 
country-house, and had them set up on either side 
of the table. From the capitals of those which 


1 20 Tigranes. 

stood at the corners were suspended rich hangings, 
meeting in the centre above the altar, after the 
manner of the canopies usually erected in the 
sanctuaries of the Basilicas. Placidus could easily 
follow the movements of those engaged in this 
pious work, for the altar had been placed in such 
a position as to be wholly within sight of the sick 
bed. Anthusa spread upon the altar a costly 
covering of silken stuff richly embroidered with 
gold and gems — a gift which she had prepared 
with long and pious labor for the church dedicated 
to St. Mamas. Above the altar, within the canopy, 
the holy deaconness suspended by a silver chain 
a beautifully wrought silver dove with outstretched 
wings of fine gold, a symbol of the Holy Ghost 
presiding over the sacrifice of infinite love — this 
was the ciborium in the early ages of the Church. 
Nor did they forget the candelabras, the perfumed 
tapers, the pitcher and ewer, the cruets of warm 
and cold water, the finger towels, the vestments 
— in a word, everything necessary for the proper 
carrying out of the Sacred Liturgy. 

When all was ready, the deacons came with the 
sacred vessels which they set in order upon the 
credence. The pious ladies begged to be allowed 
the privilege of kissing the foot of the chalice, on 
which was a beautifully enamelled representation 
of the Good Shepherd bringing home in his bosom 
the strayed sheep — Placidus also asked and ob- 
tained the same favor. Then the holy widows spent 
some time in conversation with the sick man, lead-* 


The Sacred Litu 7 ^gy. 121 

ing his mind to thoughts becoming one who was 
about to receive the holy Viaticum. Anthusa 
took her leave first, because she was to prepare the 
bread for the Holy Sacrifice, and she wished with 
pious care to attend to the least details of the pre- 
paration. She kneaded in a small silver kneading- 
trough some handfuls of the finest flour, made a 
small white almond-shape loaf and stamped upon 
it the figure of a cross, surrounded by some 
characters conveying the idea, “ Jesus Christ con- 
quers.” 

“ I shall see to the wine for the sacrifice,” said 
Placidus; “I have several flasks of old wine from 
the hills of Palestine, and the thought of those 
sacred places will • help my devotion.” And so 
everything was prepared. 

Tigranes had watched with great curiosity every 
step of these preparations, and he had promised 
himself the satisfaction of being present the next 
day at the celebration of the Christian Mysteries, 
when to his great disappointment his father sum- 
moned him, and with great seriousness of expres- 
sion, said to him : 

My son, it is not possible that you should be 
present at the most Sacred Mysteries with the 
initiated. You may, if you wish, remain during 
the first part, but when you see the faithful pros- 
trate themselves in secret prayer, then withdraw. 
You will direct Pistos and the other Christian 
slaves, in my name, to be punctual in attending ; 
but not you. You are still profane.” 


122 


Tigranes. 


And as he spoke these words a tear glistened 
in the eye of the old man. Tigranes said nothing 
at the time, but he began at once to form various 
plans in his own mind for satisfying his curiosity, 
without at the same time troubling his father’s 
conscience. He noticed that the altar had been 
placed in a hall into which opened several other 
rooms besides his father’s ; he determined, there- 
fore, to take up his position in one of them, and to 
contrive some means by which he might comfort- 
ably view the whole solemnity without being seen 
himself. He quieted his conscience by the thought 
that there could certainly be no harm in this clan- 
destine proceeding, since he was looking on, not 
to violate the mysteries, but to satisfy a curiosity 
more pious, after all, than impious. “ And then,’* 
he reasoned, ‘‘ if I am one day to be a Christian, is 
it not well that I should first have some notion of 
their mysteries ?” 

In the morning, when the time approached for 
the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice, Tigranes 
withdrew, leaving his father to the care of Paulinus, 
who had been his companion in watching during 
the night by the sick bed. He made his way 
unperceived into an adjoining apartment, secured 
the door behind him carefully and closed the win- 
dow curtains to darken the room as much as pos- 
sible. Then cautiously approaching the door 
which opened into the temporary chapel, he drew 
it slightly towards himself, carefully and noise- 
lessly, and through the folds of the curtain which 


The Sacred Liturgy, 123 

hung within, he had a full view of all the proceed- 
ings on the other side. He saw that the faithful 
were coming in one by one, taking their places in 
silent recollection around the sanctuary, across 
which were drawn two curtains, concealing the 
altar from view. He missed Anthusa, but soon 
perceived through the door of his father’s room 
that she was at the side of the old man’s couch. 
At this moment the voice of a deacon was heard 
pronouncing the usual formula : “ Let all the faith- 
ful present kneel. Let us offer up our prayers to 
God through His Christ; let us all earnestly pray 
to Him through His Christ.” All the faithful pros- 
trated themselves in what was called the Secret 
Prayer, in which each one asked pardon of God 
for his own sins. Several approached Paulinus, 
and kneeling at his feet, confessed such faults as 
troubled their consciences ; after receiving absolu- 
tion, they returned to their prayers. The silent 
prayer was followed by the acclamations. The 
deacon uttered aloud a form of prayer, first for the 
Church scattered over the face of the earth, then 
for the parishes, the secular clergy, for the monks, 
for the sick, for the benefactors of the Church, for 
the neophytes, for all heretics and unbelievers, and 
in fine, for all the faithful throughout the world. 
Tigranes was much impressed by the prayers for 
the unbelievers. ‘‘That is for me,” he said within 
himself; “let us see whether or not it will be 
granted.” At the end of each .separate invocation 
the people all answered ; “ Show unto us Thy 


124 


Tigmnes, 


mercy, O Lord/’ And now, Brethen, let us with 
renewed earnestness recommend ourselves to the 
living God, through the mediation of His Christ.” 
And the whole assembly prayed for a time with 
new fervor and devotion. Then Paulinus stood up 
and recited a collect or prayer, in which he offered 
up together the collected petitions of all. The 
faithful all answered, “ Amen.” “ The peace of 
the Lord be with you all,” said Paulinus. ‘'And 
with thy spirit,” replied the faithful. Then the 
deacon gave the signal for the interchange of the 
Kiss of Peace, whereupon each one of the men 
turned to his neighbor and kissed him upon the 
forehead in token of perfect charity, the same cere- 
mony being performed by the women among 
themselves, and all without any distinction of bond 
or free. Meanwhile the attendant ministers ex- 
changed the same symbolic embrace with tile 
priest at the altar. Tigranes could not repress a 
feeling of deep emotion when he saw the faithful 
pressing around his father’s couch and saluting 
the old man with the affectionate embrace of 
Christian love. 

This pious ceremony was followed by the an- 
nouncement of the deacon that now the offerings 
should be made for the altar, when immediately 
the faithful advanced, one by one, and laid their 
alms upon a silver tray prepared for the purpose. 
Anthusa, brought as her gift, wrapped in a towel 
of fine linen, the little loaf of bread which she had 
herself prepared that morning ; then offering also 


The Saa'ed Liturgy, 125 

the wine for the Sacrifice, she whispered to the 
minister who attended to the receiving of the gifts, 
“This js the offering of Placidus.“ Together with 
the wine was a purse full of gold pieces,*in which 
was found a paper with the words : “ For the poor, 
for the consecrated virgins and holy widows, that 
they may pray for the sinner Placidus/’ Some had 
offered v^ases of incense and other such things as 
were useful for the altar service, while one poor 
man had brought a crust of home-made bread. 
The assistant ministers, having gathered all into 
a basket, placed it upon the altar, and Paulinus 
recited the usual prayer for the oblation of the 
consecrated offerings. The sub-deacon next poured 
water upon the hands of the priest who recited, 
meanwhile, the words of the psalm: “I will w^ash 
my hands among the innocent; and will compass 
Thy altar, O Lord.” The ministers who were to 
assist in the sacrifice then likewise washed their 
hands; the faithful had purified themselves with 
the lustral water before entering. The deacon, 
having placed upon the altar the bread and wine, 
was holding over them the veil which had been 
used to cover the chalice. Anthusa, perceiving 
that the deacon was gently waving the veil from 
time to time, as if to keep off from the sacred offer- 
ing any insect or grain of dust that might be borne 
over the altar, modestly drew the attention of the 
nearest acolyte to a fan of peacock feathers which 
she had placed near at hand for that very purpose. 
And now the time had come for beginning that 


126 


Tigranes, 


part of the divine rite which was to be secret. 
Then one of the assistant clergy turned toward the 
people and made the usual proclamation : 

“Let the catechumens and the penitents depart!’’ 
These words filled the heart of Placidus with a 
holy joy. “Now,” he thought, “I shall no longer 
be rejected.” “ Let all unbelievers and heretics 
depart,” continued the deacon. “ Mothers, keep 
your children at your side. Let no one approach 
with hatred or hypocrisy in his soul. Let us 
watch in the presence of the Lord ; let us offer the 
Sacred Host with fear and trembling.” 

Not a breath was heard in the hall while the 
priest uttered the words of the angelic hymn, 
which the faithful accompanied in their hearts; 
but at the Trisagion, “ Holy, Holy, Holy Lord 
God of Hosts,” all recited the words aloud as if to 
mingle their voices with the strains of the Heavenly 
Choirs. At this point the curtains of the sanctuary 
were closed, and the faithful seemed more than 
ever absorbed in devotion before the tremendous 
mystery which was about to be consummated. 
When the priest pronounced in tones trembling 
with awe and reverence the solemn words of the 
consecration, the whole assembly, with one voice, 
made a public act of faith: “We believe!” 

The curtains were then drawn aside ; but already 
the Sacred Species had been carefully covered 
with the silken pall, and kneeling before them 
they invoked aloud the Saints and Martyrs of 
Jesus Christ, they prayed for the Church and for 


The Sacred Liturgy. 127 

the Empire, and for eternal rest to the souls of the 
faithful departed, the whole pious supplication 
ending with the solemn doxology : “Glory be to 
the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy 
Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and 
ever shall be, world without end. — x\men.“ Then 
came the solemn moment of the communion. 
The priest, having recited the Lord’s Prayer, broke 
the Heavenly Bread, and turning round to the 
faithful, held it up for their adoration ; but before 
giving communion to the people the priest said 
aloud, “ Holy things are for the holy,” to which 
they answered, “One alone is the Holy One, Jesus 
Christ, our Lord, in the glory of God the Father. 
Blessed be His holy Name forever. — Amen. Glory 
to God in the highest and peace on earth, good- 
will to men. Plosanna to the Son of David. 
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the 
Lord. He hath appeared even unto us; Hosanna 
in the highest!” 

The deacons and the other sacred ministers now 
approached to partake of the adorable and tremen- 
dous sacrifice. “The Body of the Lord,” said 
the priest. “Amen,” answered the communicant, 
receiving his portion of the Sacred Banquet in his 
extended hand ; each one also received a drop 
from the consecrated chalice which the priest 
conveyed to him with the words, “ The blood of 
Jesus Christ.” “Amen,” was the answer. First 
after the clergy came Anthusa and Publia, who, as 
consecrated widows, had, according to the primi- 


128 Tigranes. 

tive ritual, precedence among the laity.' Each one 
of the faithful, as he approached the sanctuary, 
first bent the knee in adoration, then standing 
erect at a respectful distance, extended the right 
hand supported by the left, and received with great 
reverence the Heavenly Bread ; after looking upon 
it for a brief moment with loving and reverential 
devotion, they administered the communion to 
themselves, after which they partook of the con- 
secrated chalice held by the priest, always pro- 
nouncing the “Amen,” before they returned to 
their places. When Anthusa had received, she 
placed her little son before her, and brushing back 
the locks from his fair brow, whispered in his ear, 
“ My child, join your little hands and open your 
mouth ; now our Lord Jesus is going to come 
to you.” The innocent little angel immediately 
assumed a devout posture, extended his tongue 
upon his parted lips, and received from the hand 
of the priest a fragment of the Sacred Bread 
dipped in the chalice. A young girl from a dis- 
tant province happened to be present, and as 
she approached she extended her hand, covered 
according to the custom of her country, with a 
linen cloth richly edged with gold. But the 
deacon directed her to dispense with it, as nothing 
was a more worthy receptacle for the Holy 
Eucharist than the body of a Christian, consecrated 
by the sacraments and the living temple of the 
Holy Ghost. When all the others had in like 
manner received the Bread of Life, Placidus also 


The Sacred Liturgy. 129 

partook of the Sacred Banquet. He seemed to be 
so completely rapt by the great happiness which 
filled his soul as not to see or feel anything else, 
but to be already enjoying a foretaste of heavenly 
bliss; having touched his lips, still wet with the 
divine blood, with the tips of his fingers, he applied 
them thus moistened to his forehead, his ears and 
his eyes, as the rest of the faithful had done, but 
his words were different: “Now, my eyes, close 
forever in peace ; to-day I have seen my God, I 
ask for no more on earth.'* One of the faithful 
present, who had to set out next day on a long 
journey by sea, broke the bread given him by the 
priest and reserved a portion of it in a small silver 
pyx kept for this purpose, which he then wrapped 
in a richly wrought scarf of gold cloth and placed 
reverently in his bosom. The faithful remained 
absorbed in prayer and thanksgiving long after the 
priest’s blessing and the parting salutation, 'Lte in 
Facet' had been given, so deep and fervent was 
their gratitude to God who had restored them their 
lost brother; and thus all remained to praise the 
infinite goodness of the Lord, and to commend to 
His care the last hours of the sick man. Each 
one, before departing, stopped to say a word of 
kindness to Placidus, who was too much absorbed 
in spiritual joy and happiness to answer by words, 
he only smiled his thanks. And thus he spent the 
remainder of that day. Tigr^nes attributed this 
deep quiet to exhaustion, a necessary consequence, 
he thought, of the excitement of the morning. 


1 30 Tigranes, 

But he was disabused when, in the evening, long 
after all guests and visitors had taken their leave, 
he found himself alone with his father. 


VIII. 

THE SECRET. 

^^LACIDUS lived but a short time after receiv- 
ing the holy Viaticum, and his death was a 
peaceful falling asleep in the Lord. But who 
^ was Placidus ? He was the son of a cele- 
brated goldsmith of Turin, and had been brought 
up a Pagan ; but he became a Christian after the 
miraculous apparition of the cross to Constantine, 
under whom he was serving his term of military 
service at the time, and he had the honor of being 
chosen among the fifty whom the emperor ap- 
pointed as a special guard to the Labarum during 
the time of battle. After attaining the highest 
military ranks as a reward for his distinguished 
valor in various engagements, he fought through 
most of the Persian campaigns under Constantins, 
until he was at last made prisoner and taken to 
Ctesiphon, then the capital of the Persian king. 
At his very entrance into the great city, he wit- 
nessed a spectacle which did net help to raise his 


The Secret. 


131 

spirits. An aged man, named Gustahazade, who 
had grown gray in the service of his royal master, 
whose foster-father he was, and who had enjoyed 
the king’s almost intimate friendship, was being 
dragged through the streets to execution. The 
criers went before him proclaiming to the gather- 
ing crowds the royal sentence condemning the 
old man to death because he obstinately refused 
to worship the sun. This happened on a Holy 
Thursday; on the very next day, the ‘tyrant 
ordered the arrest of the bishop Simeon, the great 
St. Simeon Bar Saboe, who had been present in 
the Nicene Council as Metropolitan cf Seleucia 
and Ctesiphon. The venerable prelate was like- 
wise condemned to decapitation, with one hundred 
other ministers of the altar. These bloody scenes 
were followed by the destruction of churches, the 
burning of monasteries, and such a fierce persecu- 
tion of Christianity, that the faithful were obliged 
to meet for divine worship in the darkness of night, 
and far from human habitations. Placidus, for the 
first time, showed a cowardly weakness; he had 
not the courage to take part with his persecuted 
brethren, but lived like a heathen, only that he 
never bent the knee to any of the idols of the 
Persians. A fall so inexcusable before God, and 
so fruitful of bitter remorse and tears to himself in 
after life, when he returned to the path of duty, 
was, however, in the merciful , designs of Provi- 
dence, to serve a good purpose. The noble bear- 
ing and dignified manners of Placidus won so com- 


132 Tigranes. 

pletely upon the admiration of the Great King, that 
he several times offered the Roman prisoner his 
liberty and the sure prospect of immense wealth 
if he would only engage, on his word of honor, to 
hold a secret correspondence with him and inform 
him of the movements of the Roman army. But 
the proud old tribune ever steadily refused to enter 
into any such dishonorable engagement; and the 
king, who plumed himself particularly on his mag- 
nanimity, showed ten-fold more esteem than ever 
for him thereafter. 

In the course of the war with Tiridates, king of 
Armenia, Sapor had taken, among other captives, 
a very beautiful young girl of royal blood, a very 
devout Christian, named Theda. Captivated by 
her beauty and her virtues, the king made her his 
wife, in spite of her religion. When her first child 
was born, the high-priest came for the little prince 
to subject him to the usual ordeal of fire and water 
in the temple of the sun, but Theda had deter- 
mined to bring up the child in the Christian faith, 
and she positively refused her consent. Neither 
entreaties nor threats could shake the resolution 
of the queen. Then the Council of Satraps, urged 
on and instructed by the heads of the College of 
Magi, represented to the monarch that the welfare 
of the realm required the death of the mother and 
child. Sapor felt that he was in possession of a 
throne w^hich he had not ascended by right of suc- 
cession, but by favor of these very counsellors, who 
had snatched the sceptre from his elder brother, 


Tl.e Secret. 


133 


Hormisdas,* to place it in his hands; and Hor- 
misdas was still alive. Besides, he was young and 
inexperienced, and he knew but too well that no 
crime would have seemed too atrocious in the eyes 
of those faithless hypocrites, provided it could 
secure the supremacy of their superstitious worship. 
He yielded therefore to these specious reasons of 
state. It was supposed by many that some new 
object had attracted his affections, and that he had 
seized but too willingly the pretext of religion to 
justify the breaking of the first tie. However this 
may have been, the queen and her little son were 
immediately removed, with the profoundest secrecy, 
to a royal castle, far from the seat of government; 
and it was given out that they were both dead. 
An old eunuch, one of the most confidential crea- 
tures of the Persian high-priest, was appointed 
governor of the castle and guardian of the royal 
prisoner. The king informed her that her obsti- 
nacy in clinging to a foreign religion had estranged 
his affections, and that it was due altogether to his 
royal benignity that nothing worse had befallen 
her, since the Council of Satraps had decreed her 
death. She was warned to give no evidence of 
being still alive, as the first rumor of that nature 
which reached the court would be a signal of disas- 
ter to herself and her child. , 

The only one of her former friends and advisers 
who was true to the queen in her hour of trial, was 

* This was the same Hormisdas of whom mention was made 
in the third chapter. ■ 


1 34 Tig7^a7ies, 

an Armenian lord, named Arbazanes, who followed 
her to her prison, and secretly conveyed to Sapor 
occasional tidings about his unfortunate queen and 
her disinherited offspring. The king was loath to 
stain his hands in her blood, and, indeed, it was 
much against his own will that he acted harshly 
towards a wife whom he loved and knew to be 
innocent. And just as he had rejoiced exceedingly 
when his brother, Hormisdas, had escaped from his 
prison and sought an asylum on Roman soil, on 
which occasion instead of pursuing him, he had 
even taken care that the exile’s wife should be 
enabled to go to her husband, so now he would 
have been glad to get rid of Theda and her child 
without any crime on his own part. It was some 
years before his wish could be gratified, but at 
length the occasion came. Arbazanes hit upon the 
plan of using, as an agent, the Roman tribune 
Placidus, already mentioned as having fallen into 
the hands of the Persians on the fatal field of 
Nisibis, but who had been some years residing at 
Ctesiphon, under nominal guard, until the oppor- 
tunity should offer of an exchange for some Persian 
prisoner of equal rank. Arbazanes suggested to the 
king to entrust his little son to the Roman officer 
to be brought up in a foreign land, where he would 
be removed from the malice of the magi. The 
sense of paternal affection was not dead in the 
heart of Sapor; he felt gratified at finding a means 
of saving his son, and summoning the tribune 
before him, thus addressed him : Roman, your 


The Secret 


135 


life and liberty are in my hands ; yet it is not my 
purpose to make you atone for the lives of so 
many of my faithful servants who have fallen in 
the war I am forced to wage against your country- 
men. I am willing rather to load you with favors 
if you know how to make yourself worthy of 
them.’* 

Great king,” answered Placidus, Rome is at 
war with you, and it is not for her soldiers to 
judge the value of her motives; but this much I 
may say to you, they hold your own high military 
spirit in the greatest esteem. I have had occasion 
to know that your clemency can be made to equal 
your fearless courage, and in whatever a Roman 
may, I shall deem it a high honor to obey you.” 

“ If the Romans are as generous as they boast 
themselves to be,” continued Sapor, ‘'and if you 
are what I take you for, you may do my will. 
Listen. There is a little child whom my courtiers, 
through an excessive desire to serve me, would 
put to death if they could but discover him. I am 
weary of hiding and guarding him from their 
pursuit, and I have determined to intrust him to 
you if you will swear to me to keep my secret.” 

“King of kings,” cried Placidus, “your confi- 
dence fills my heart with the deepest gratitude, 
and I do not fear to say that you have not mis- 
placed it. My breast is an inviolable stronghold 
when once my word is pledge;d. But where can 
I hide a child whom the king of Persia cannot 
conceal ?” 


136 Tigranes. 

Without the bounds of my empire. Anywhere, 
provided he be placed beyond the reach of the 
magi, and yet near enough to make it easy for me 
to hear of him often. Carrhae or Antioch would 
do very well.'' 

“Then you restore me to freedom?" 

“Certainly, you are free; and my royal treasure 
is open to you from this moment." 

“ Great king," cried the astonished tribune, 
“ may your happiness never be less than your 
generosity ! " 

“ Do you know," asked Sapor, “what it was that 
thus won the friendship and confidence I have 
shown to you, a stranger — a Roman — my enemy?" 

“ No, great king," replied the tribune. 

“It was your refusal to serve me against your 
own country. When you replied to my liberal 
advances — ‘I have sworn fidelity to my sovereign. 
I cannot violate my oath !’ then I admired you. 
Had you consented, I should have paid you with 
gold, but also with contempt." 

“And you would have been right." 

Well, now, swear to me as you swore to your 
emperor; swear by the same God by whom you 
swore to hini." 

“ Bufwhat pledge do you require of me? Is it 
only to observe secrecy in this matter, or is it 
something besides that?" 

“Nothing else; nothing but inviolable secrecy 
about these circumstances concerning the child. 
He must be brought up as your adopted son, and 


The Secret, 


137 


in perfect ignorance of all that concerns his birth ; 
you yourself must not inquire into it. Do you 
promise me this ?” 

Placidus raised his right hand and said: ‘‘By 
the God of heaven, whom I adore, by whom I swore 
fidelity to Constantine Augustus, and to Constan- 
tius, his son, I swear to the king of kings, to Sapor 
the Great, that no one in the world shall ever know 
from me the secret which is to-day entrusted to 
my keeping.*’ 

Sapor drawing a ring from his finger broke it in 
two with the hilt of his dagger. One semi-circle 
he kept for himself, and handing the other to Pla- 
cidus, he said: 

“ Whenever a stranger comes to you, whether 
in the dress of a merchant, of a beggar, of a philoso- 
pher, or in any other guise, provided he shows 
you this half of my ring which I now hold here, 
you will receive my communications through him 
and remittances of gold for the support of yourself 
and your charge, and you may safely entrust to 
him all that you would wish to say to me concern- 
ing the child. Thus shall you act in this matter, 
and not otherwise. Do you swear to observe 
these conditions?” 

‘‘ I do,” said Placidus. 

“‘And when you die,” continued the king, 
““which event may the Great Sun long avert, will 
you leave him heir to all the possessions you may 
have acquired by means of tlie ample fortune I 
shall place at your command ?” 


138 


Tig7^anes. 

“Yes, I swear it.“ 

“Know then,” resumed Sapor, “that on what- 
ever day this child is found in the realms of Persia 
and recognized, he will fall a victim to the hatred 
of the magi. Not all my royal power could save 
him; the destinies of the kingdom are inexorable. 
And if, on the other hand, you should betray my 
secret to the Romans, my wrath would reach you 
whether in heaven above or in the abyss below. 
The hand of Sapor is not short; it strikes even to 
the utmost bounds of the earth!” 

“ King of kings,” said Placidus haughtily, “ there 
is no need of threats. The plighted faith of Pla- 
cidus is enough.” 

“Spoken like a king!” said Sapor. 

And when the plan of action had been well 
understood between them, Placidus took his leave. 
In a few days he had gathered about him quite a 
household of slaves and other attendants, as a 
means of better concealing the child. Arbazanes 
found but little difficulty in overcoming the natural 
repugnance of the queen to giving up her child, 
for she felt that it was useless for one in her con- 
dition to resist the will of the king, and besides, 
she was made acquainted with the fact that this 
was part of her royal husband’s plan to save the life 
of the little prince, and her faithful attendant per- 
suaded her that it would not be very long before 
she might hope for some occasion to escape and 
join her son in a foreign land. One condition, 
however, she insisted upon ; it was that Arbazanes 


The Secret 


139 


should accompany the child, at least until he should 
be fairly settled in his new home, and that he 
should return to tell her of the condition, as to 
persons and place, in which he had left his little 
charge. This Arbazanes promised to do. 

The tribune faithfully observed everything he 
had sworn to the king. He secured a dwelling at 
Carrhae, then an important Roman city, and gave 
out that the child had been born in Persia, where 
his mother had lately died. Though, in truth, the 
child’s mother was not dead, she was leading a life 
worse than death ; for when she found herself alone, 
deprived of the sweet solace of nursing the child 
who had been her only joy, she fell into a fit of 
melancholy so deep and bitter, that had not her 
fiiith sustained and inspired her with resignation 
to the divine will, she must inevitably have lost 
her reason. The faithful Arbazanes soon returned 
and consoled her by the assurance that her child 
had reached Carrhae in perfect health and safety, 
where he was carefully and generously provided 
with all that he could need, so that he really lived 
more like a prince than like the child of a private 
citizen. 

Ah ! that is the least of my cares on his ac- 
count!’' cried the Christian princess. “Until I 
know that he is baptized, my soul will have no 
rest. Woe is me 1 I should never have, on any 
condition, intrusted him to oth^r hands. Better to 
have seen him die in my arms a Christian, than to 
know that he lives in joy and affluence, an unbe- 


140 


TigTa7ies, 

liever; and then, who can give me assurance that 
he will not forfeit his heavenly, as he has already 
lost his earthly, throne ?’' 

“ Why thus torment yourself with doubts, Lady?” 
interposed Arbazanes. “ Placidus is a Christian as 
well as ourselves.” 

“ Did he promise you to have the child baptized 
in due time?” asked the unhappy queen, anxiously. 

I did not ask any promise from him,” he re- 
plied, ” because Placidus does not frequent our 
assemblies.” 

“Then how do you say that he is a Christian?” 

“ He speaks like a Christian, and in all his dwell- 
ing there is not the least sign of idolatrous super- 
stition. He makes the sign of the cross before 
taking his meals, and has in his room a picture 
of the Good Shepherd, before which I believe that 
he performs his devotions in secret. He must, 
then, be a Christian in his heart.” 

Though these assurances did in part allay the 
fears and anxious doubts of the Christian mother, 
they could not wholly establish peace and consola- 
tion in her soul. The ever-present memory of her 
only child, and her maternal longing to be once 
more with him, plunged her into the deepest sad- 
ness and suffering. Accordingly, she was ever 
pressing Arbazanes to devise some means of effect- 
ing her escape and bringing her to her son, where 
she might, even under the disguise of a servant if 
necessary, see to his being brought up a Christian. 
Besides, it was dangerous for her to remain much 


The Secret. 


141 

longer where she was, for the whole country was 
being put to fire and sword by the magi, who 
scoured city and country in their unrestrained 
fury against the Christians, and whole families 
were daily hurried off together to the places of 
execution. The new queen was the bitterest insti- 
gator of this bloody persecution, and seemed to 
take particular delight in witnessing the torture 
of Christian women. There could not, then, be 
much doubt as to the fate of the unfortunate 
prisoner. Should the queen even come to sus- 
pect the secret of her existence, she would cer- 
tainly have given the king no peace until this 
hated rival had been removed by a cruel death. 
Theda had observed that the watchfulness of her 
guards was of late far less strict than in the begin- 
ning of her captivity; she knew also that if the 
king had not been goaded on by superstitious 
fanatics, he would never have acted so cruelly 
towards her. Moreover, the joy which she knew 
that Sapor felt in his heart at the escape of his 
brother, Hormisdas, and his active agency in the 
removal of her child to a place of safety, seemed 
to warrant the hope that there would not be much 
trouble taken to pursue her should she succeed in 
effecting her escape. And so she determined to 
make the attempt. Whether through the con- 
nivance of the governor of the castle, — under 
directions from the king — whether through the 
carelessness of the guards or the skill with which 
the plan was concerted and carried out, the attempt 


1 42 Tigranes. 

succeeded perfectly. But now came the hardest 
part of the enterprise. She had to wander through 
vast regions of waste and uninhabited country, to 
push her way at night through thick forests, peo- 
pled by wild beasts; to wade many swift moun- 
tain-torrents, ever in peril of her life, ever doubtful 
in the morning whether she would reach the eve- 
ning, and in the evening, whether she should again 
behold the light of day. And such was her exist- 
ence for many months, with no clothing but that 
which she w’ore on leaving her prison, and no food 
but the leavings begged at the door of the shep- 
herd’s hut. Arbazanes was her only support in 
these trying moments, and he served her both as 
attendant and guide; he made all necessary inqui- 
ries concerning the route to be followed ; sought 
the scanty supplies on which they lived, and, at 
night, he provided what shelter he could by bend- 
ing down and interlacing the lithe branches of 
some young trees. But his best ministry was that 
of consoler, which he exercised at all times by 
soothing words, by comforting expressions from 
Holy Writ, and by frequently recalling to her 
mind the truth that divine Providence watches 
over the ways of the just. Several times the royal 
fugitive swooned away under the combined effects 
of weariness and trouble of mind, and Arbazanes 
began to fear that he might be obliged to bury her 
in some wild desert, or amid the dark horrors of 
some lonely cave. 

It pleased heaven to bring the fugitives safely 


The Secret, 


143 


across the Euphrates, and, after a long and painful 
pilgrimage, the exiled princess found rest in the 
safe and hospitable mansion of Placidus at Carrhae. 
But it was also in the inscrutable designs of the 
same divine Providence, that the end of her pil- 
grimage should measure the term of her life. In 
vain did the noble-hearted tribune lavish upon her 
every care and attention inspired by Christian char- 
ity and a deep respect for exalted rank and virtue 
condemned to undeserved punishment; the hapless 
queen enjoyed but a few days the happiness of 
being with her child and of seeing him safe from 
the wiles of his cruel enemies. 

When she knew that her last hour was come, 
she sent for Placidus and exacted from him a most 
solemn promise, several times repeated, that he 
would never allow her child to return to Persia, 
nor permit any Persian, of whose fidelity he was 
not sure, to have any intercourse with him. The 
boy was now about seven years of age, and, as 
often happened in those times, was not yet bap- 
tized ; but his pious mother, after praying long and 
fervently for him, called him to the side of her 
deathbed and, embracing him tenderly, placed 
upon his head a small volume of the holy Gospels 
with the words : “ Far better for you, my child, 
such a crown as this, than any jewelled diadem 
you could wear here on earth. God grant that I 
may see you reign in heaven rather than on earth, 
where all is vanity, injustice and sorrow. Lord of 
mercy and only consoler of the afflicted, hear the 


144 


Tigranes. 

last and most fervent petition of a wife rejected, of 
a queen in exile for serving Thee ! I do not regret 
what I have lost; I know that it is but as dust and 
ashes; I only ask of Thee what I know Thou 
wouldst have me ask. Grant that the saving 
waters of baptism may one day fall upon this 
loved head.’" In a few moments the pious soul 
was freed from its sorrows, and was at rest at last. 

Placidus did not remain long at Carrhae, which 
was beginning to be somewhat unsafe on account 
of the yearly rekindling of the war between the 
Romans and the Persians ; he therefore removed to 
Antioch, from which place he could hold commu- 
nication as easily as before with the Persian king, 
by reason of the great number of merchants and 
others who were continually passing through that 
great mart. 

Placidus kept the secret faithfully up to the last; 
and Tigranes never had an inkling of the mystery 
until the aged warrior, after receiving the last sac- 
raments, found himself alone with his son, and was 
exhorting him with greater fervor than ever not to 
defer baptism. He had begun to tell of the famous 
apparition of the cross previous to the defeat of 
Maxentius, but his efforts had weakened him so 
much that his mind commenced to wander. Ti- 
granes, perceiving this, advised his father to take 
a little rest, and began to arrange the pillow for 
the old man to recline upon. But Placidus, with 
his eyes wide open and flashing like crystal in the 
sunlight, motioned him away with his hand and 


The Secret. 


145 


continued: '*Who art thou, old man? How that 
mitre sparkles on tliy brow ! . . . . What means 
tliat army in white ? .... I understand ; the 
rider and bis horse rush headlong into the flood, 
and the waters swallow up the chariot of Pharaoh 

together with his army Thy right hand, O 

Lord, is glorified. And Tliou art the merciful 

leader of Thy people Who is like unto 

Jehovah ? God reigneth forever and conquereth 
eternity, ..... and Thy sanctuary is unshaken.” . . . 

These and many other incoherent things did the 
sick man utter, until he fell back exhausted and 
subdued. Pistos explained to Tigranes the mean- 
ing of these broken words, as he alone could do, 
who was a Christian, and who during a long term 
of service, or rather of friendly intercourse, had 
learned to read even the half-expressed thoughts 
of his master. Placidus had been wounded in the 
great battle against Maxentius, at the moment 
when the tyrant, pursued by Constantine, was 
plunging into the Tiber. But having been borne 
beyond the reach of danger, he had found a place 
of refuge in a Christian village on the Vatican Hill, 
at whose foot that memorable engagement took 
place. After recovering and receiving instruction 
in tlie faith, he had been baptized at the tomb of 
St. Peter. That mitred old man, about whom he 
was now raving, was the venerable Miltiades, then 
Bishop of Rome ; that army in white meant the 
priests, who sang psalms and thanked the God of 
Hosts for the victory of Constantine, which pro- 


146 


Ti francs. 

mised universal peace to the Church. Placidus 
had no doubt often heard the canticles of the 
Church, and the one, of which he had just recited 
an occasional disconnected verse, was a sacred 
hymn in the inspired books, which must have par- 
ticularly struck his warlike imagination. 

While Pistos and Tigranes were thus conversing 
apart, hoping that the sick man would take a little 
repose, he repeatedly interrupted them ; at one 
time with low moans or confused murmurs, at 
another with well articulated and solemn words. 
Tigranes standing on one side of his bed and Pistos 
on the other, began to soothe and quiet him. Pla- 
cidus kept his eyes closed, then suddenly opened 
them, and gazing at both with a troubled stare, 
exclaimed in terror and affright: “Whither are you 
dragging me, ye heartless wretches? Oh, degene- 
rate Constahtius ! thou makest war on bishops, and 
thou conquerest; before the Persians thou givest 
way and fliest. . . . Thou coward ! . . . Thou be- 
trayest our blood, as though the Roman soldier 
were the vilest slave, thou allowest us to be caught 
like birds in the nets of the fowler, craven that 
thou art !” . . . And in his ravings he tossed his 
arms wildly to and fro, as if he were calling dowm 
curses upon some one’s head. Pistos tried to put 
his hands back under the bed-covering, but Placi- 
dus cried aloud: “Ye barbarians, respect my person. 
Who dares put shackles on a Roman tribune ?’’ 

“No one is hurting you, father; that is Pistos, 
and I am your son, Tigranes.” . . . 


The Secret 


147 

“Pistos! Tigranes ! Great king! what wilt thou 
have me do with that child ?” . . . 

“ Unfortunate princess ! I adopt thy dear Tigranes 
as my son; he shall be a sacred pledge to me. . . . 
Depart in peace fol* a better world. I swear by the 

word of God I will lead him to Christ He 

shall be the son of the great king by a two-fold 
title/’ . . . 

At these words, which sounded so little like 
raving, and which evidently pointed to some pro- 
found secret, known to Pistos alone, the faithful 
servant hastily and unconsciously pressed the palm 
of his hand against his forehead and exclaimed: 
“ Great God 1 what a veil is rent asunder at this 
moment 1” 

“Pistos, what mystery is that?” said Tigranes. 
‘‘You know it, I see it in your eyes; you are the 
only one that came with us from Persia; speak!’' 

“ I cannot.” 

“ I insist on it.” 

“ It is not lawful.” 

“ I command it.” 

“ It is a secret unto death.” 

Tigranes, struck by the words of the dying man, 
did not at that moment inquire any farther into the 
secret; but no sooner had he closed the eyes of his 
father than he began to press Pistos, to threaten 
him, and force him to unravel the mystery. It was 
impossible for Pistos to conceal it any longer; and 
then Tigranes learned for the first time that he was 
the son of the Persian king. Sapor, and of the holy 


148 


Tigranes. 

princess, Theda. Pistos was none other than 
Arbazanes, voluntarily become a slave in order to 
console the afflicted Theda, and watch over the 
child, whom the pious mother had entrusted to 
his keeping* 


IX* 

A BOLD RESOLVE. 

• 

important and unexpected discovery which 
j| Tigranes had just made concerning his birth 
and parentage, strongly moved his ardent and 
resolute nature. The condition in which he 
had found his supposed father, the moving exhorta- 
tions of the old man, and other circumstances 
attending his return to Antioch, had, as we have 
already seen, very materially changed his feelings 
and disposition toward the engagement into which 
he had entered with Julian. He now felt that it 
was a burden upon him ; but he remained firm in 
his purpose of proceeding to Carrhae and fulfilling 
his promise, though he foresaw that he would not 
be able to discharge this duty as early as he had 
hoped, and we have, in a previous chapter, quoted 
the letter in which he announced this necessary 
delay to Julian. 


A Bold Resolve. 


149 


After the death of Placidus and the rev'elation of 
the great secret, to the determination of going to 
Carrhae he joined the resolution of crossing the 
boundaries of the Persian realm,’ and of confront- 
ing Sapor, his true father, in his o-wn palace. 
“ The Persian throne,” so Tigranes one day rea- 
soned within himself, “is denied me by adverse 
Fate, or by the God who rules Fate. It is useless 
for me to seek it; neither my own countrymen nor 
the Romans, nor even my father himself, can move 
a finger in my behalf. It does not become a wise 
man to struggle with destiny, nor to flatter his 
fancy with chimeras, nor to pine after the impossi- 
ble — much less to fret over misfortune. No, cruel 
Fate, thou shalt not enjoy that triumph over me! 
No, no ! The loss of a diadem snatched from me 
by fortune, shall not so disturb the mind of 
Tigranes. And yet,” continued the fiery and 
determined youth, “all this does not justify my 
father in thus making me an exile, and keeping 
me inexorably removed from his presence. It is 
my firm purpose to enter his palace and to look 
upon him with a fearless eye. What though a 
throng of magi and of satraps surround his throne, 
though a host of slaves cringe at his feet, though 
all the East tremble if he but bend his brow, I 
shall look upon him in all the splendor of his 
majesty, I shall there call him father, and compel 
him to acknowledge me as his son. Come what 
may, I shall follow my star I I cannot, I must not 
go on dragging my way through life unknown to 
my real father, like one accursed!” 


1 50 Tigranes. 

It must not be supposed that in maturing a pur- 
pose so daring and so hazardous, Tigranes did not 
foresee the immense difficulties and obstacles which 
he must inevitably meet On the contrary, he 
habitually arrayed them all before him, examined 
and studied them — but only under those aspects 
which represented them as surmountable. As to 
relinquishing his design, or even hesitating in the 
execution of it, no such contingency ever entered 
his thoughts; so firm of purpose was he when once 
he had made up his mind to act And so the 
hours went by, sometimes joyful, sometimes sad; 
now bright and calm, again dark and stormy, 
according to the success or failure of his enterprise 
as he enacted it daily in his lively fancies; at one 
time imagining himself successfully beyond all 
obstacles and kindly greeted in the very palace 
halls of Sapor, at others repulsed by the royal 
command, and rudely thrust from the gates of his 
rightful home. Often, at night, when the tumult 
of wild fancies thronging his brain drove away all 
possibility of sleep, he would seek the room of 
Pistos, and seated on the edge of the old man’s 
couch, would talk of his early childhood and 
inquire about every least detail as if for the first 
time. And this faithful old friend, who knew well 
what projects were growing in the mind of the 
fiery youth, took frequent occasion to remind him 
of the fearful threats which hung over his head 
should he ever dare to set foot cn Persian soil. 
But Tigranes made light of these threats, as if 


A Bold Resolve, 


151 

they were not meant for him, and he generally 
replied by unfolding a map which he had lately 
purchased from the illustrious geographer, Alipius, 
and entering upon a long inquiry about the roads, 
the streams, the mountains and deserts, and cities 
lying on his route; and all the information thus 
obtained he noted down carefully on his memo- 
randum tablets. 

One day while Tigranes and Pistos were engaged 
in conversation on this subject, a stranger was 
announced. He wore the dress of a Persian mer- 
chant, and on entering the apartment, after saluting 
the occupants, he immediately asked: 

“Is this the dwelling of Arbazanes ? 

Pistos divined at once who the stranger was and 
what was his errand, and taking him aside, asked 
him why he inquired for Arbazanes and not for 
Placidus. 

“I know all, “ replied the stranger. “Placidus is 
dead, and I must necessarily treat with Arbazanes.“ 

“Very well, I am Arbazanes; though here they 
call me Pistos. But have you not some token to 
present by which I may know the truth of your 
mission ? '' 

“Yes; here it is,“ answered the stranger, produ- 
cing the half-circlet of the royal ring. Pistos fitted 
his own half to it and saw that they agreed perfectly. 

“Friend of the Great King,” said the Persian in a 
low voice, “could you not receive me somewhere 
apart from this youth?” 

“Speak without fear, messenger of king Sapor,” 


152 Tigranes. 

replied Pistos, ‘Hhis token belongs more to that 
youth than to me; and the message of the Great 
King may and should be heard by him.’’ 

The confident tone of Pistos and his evident 
understanding with king Sapor, removed all doubts 
from the mind of the royal envoy, who proceeded 
to tell them that he was the usual agent employed 
by the king to receive information about young 
Tigranes, and he produced the purple bag contain- 
ing the usual amount of gold and precious gems. 
Pistos received the treasure and presented it to 
Tigranes, at the same time making him a sign to 
let him treat with the stranger. 

Messenger,” said Pistos, ‘‘you may announce to 
your royal master that the treasure has been deliv- 
ered to him who holds the required token, that is, 
to Arbazanes, because Placidus is no more. You 
may add that Tigranes inherited a large fortune 
from Placidus, that he is well and happy. That is 
all.” 

Tigranes, who had now recovered from his first 
surprise, added : 

“ Could you not remain here to-night and start 
on your return to-morrow, and meanwhile a more 
fitting answer might be prepared in writing ?” 

“ I cannot ; to-morrow I shall be fifty .stadia 
from Antioch.” 

Tigranes began to pace the room in an agitated 
manner. Pistos would have wished to take him 
apart and advise him, but he was not to be drawn 
away. He seemed to be absorbed in the con- 


A Bold Resolve. 153 

sideration of some new and important plan, when 
the Persian abruptly asked him : 

“ Young man, are you the possessor of that ring, 
or is it this gentleman who is with you ?” 

‘‘You need have no fear about that,” replied 
Tigranes. “ We are friends, and all is common 
among the friends of the Great King. I am the 
Tigranes about whom the king is concerned ; and 
you may tell him,” — here he passed his hand over 
his forehead and his eyes, and again paced the 
room repeatedly as one who is maturing an impor- 
tant reply, and is struggling with a host of conflict- 
ing thoughts. ‘‘You may tell him,” he continued, 
“ that Tigranes is about to set out for,” — another 
pause. “ Well,” said he at last, with the tone of one 
who has taken a desperate resolution, “ tell him 
that Tigranes will soon see his father ! That is all.” 

“ But what shall I say, if the king asks me who 
is your father, or how he is?” 

“ He will not ask you,” said Tigranes, in a tone 
which put an end to the interview. 

The stranger asked for some rags that he might 
disguise himself, at need, as a beggar, and on re- 
ceiving them took his leave. But Pistos had 
understood the meaning of the words uttered by 
his young friend, and the thought of the young 
man’s daring resolution gave him no peace. He 
left no means untried to turn away his mind from 
the thought; he brought in the services of An- 
thusa also, who used all the influence of her words, 
though, of course indirectly, and as one who knew 


^54 


Tigranes. 


nothing of the real destination of Tigranes, to 
dissuade him from attempting any distant journey. 
That holy widow had no greater desire than to 
see him enrolled among the catechumens, and 
accordingly she kept always before his eyes the 
example lately given him by Placidus, and the last 
solemn charge uttered by the dying tribune, and 
she begged him earnestly not to reject the advances 
of God’s mercy, which was calling him to the faith. 
Often, when she found him evidently fixed in his 
purpose, the pious matron would reason with him 
to this effect: 

‘‘If you must, at any cost, satisfy this youthful 
fancy, why do you not visit Egypt, as your father — 
peace to his soul ! — recommended you to do before 
we closed his eyes ? If you are troubled with 
doubts, there you can consult the illustrious Didy- 
mus, a wonder of wisdom, who gathers around 
him, from all parts of the world, young men eager 
in the pursuit of sacred learning. If you are de- 
sirous to acquire eloquence or some other noble 
accomplishment, you will find in Alexandria the 
great Athanasius, whom I myself saw here in 
Antioch, some seven years ago, when I had the 
honor and the happiness of kissing his hand. What 
a true man of God! You know that the whole 
Church resounds with his praise; you knowhow 
he has stood fearlessly before wicked Emperors, 
has crushed heresies and defended the faith. When 
he opens his lips, oracles rather than words seem 
to pour forth in their inspired utterance.” 


A Bold Resolve. 


155 

'‘Yes, I know,** Tigranes would reply with evi- 
dent weariness. 

“Will you, then, go to Alexandria?** pursued 
the good matron. 

“ I will think about it,'* was the only answer. 
And so the conversation generally ended without 
any visible result. Meanwhile, the approach of 
the genial spring was softening, day by day, the 
stern rigors of departing winter, and Tigranes 
knew, by the reappearance of the Persian messen- 
gers, that the mountains were already passable. 
So, one evening, shortly after the scenes last re- 
corded, he called Pistos and said to him: “lam 
summoned by important business to Carrhae; you 
wiir-’— 

“And to Ctesiphon ?’* interrupted Pistos. 

“To Carrhae, certainly,’* replied Tigranes ; “after 
that, to Ctesiphon, perhaps. At any rate, once on 
the road, I shall make up my mind as I travel. 
You will please to see that all the preparations for 
the journey be made within three days.’* 

When Placidus was released from his captivity 
in Persia, he sojourned for a time, as the reader 
will remember, at Carrhae, the ancient Haran, 
where Jacob met Rachel ; or perhaps it would be 
more correct to say that he dwelt in the immediate 
neighborhood of Carrhae, in a splendid and delight- 
ful villa, the residence of the noble Christian couple, 
Vologeses and Tarbula. Tigranes had reached 
his seventh year when Placidus removed thence to 
Antioch, and during this period the constant com- 


156 Tigranes. 

panion of all his childish sports was a little daugh- 
ter of his noble hosts, who had been named Theda, 
in memory of the sainted mother of Tigranes. 
When our travellers reached Carrhae in their pre- 
sent journey, Tigranes found that the former com- 
panion of his boyish days was no longer there, but 
had been for some time at Ctesiphon, with Tamp- 
saore, a brother of Vologeses, and that her mother 
was somewhat troubled in mind at not having re- 
ceived any tidings about her for a year, especially 
as it was well known that a persecution was raging 
in Persia against the Christians. This circum- 
stance at once removed the last vestige of hesita- 
tion that might have lingered in the mind of Ti- 
granes regarding the propriety of pushing his jour- 
ney into Persia. 

What do you think,'' he said to Vologeses and 
Tarbula, '‘of my bringing you news of your daugh- 
ter myself?" 

" How can that be done?" they asked with some 
appearance of surprise and doubt. 

"By going to see her in person." 

"Are you on your way to Ctesiphon?" asked 
both the anxious parents m a breath. 

"Yes." 

"But what can take you there?" 

" The desire of seeing and learning. I have 
visited Greece and Italy, and now the notion takes 
me that I ought to visit my native land. So make 
ready whatever letters you wish to send." 

After making this announcement, Tigranes rose 


A Bold Resolve. 


157 


and left the house to visit the tomb of his motlier, 
and as he stood reverently before tlie simple mon- 
ument, he read with deep emotion the touching 
inscription : 

“Theda, journeying from Persia, here found rest 
in Christ from all the afflictions of life, praying that 
her son might made be a sharer in the gifts of the 
Holy Ghost” 

Tigranes returned from this visit to his mother’s 
ashes with a strong feeling of abhorrence at the 
thought of presenting himself to the High Priest 
of the Moon; but his strong friendship for Julian, 
the confidence which the young Caesar had placed 
in him, and, above all, his oath, which he held as 
inviolable, overcame his repugnance, and without 
saying a word to any one about it, he went to the 
temple of the Moon, and presented to the High 
Priest the letter, with the goblet, which Julian had 
intrusted to him. 

This business despatched, his only thought was * 
to set out at once for Ctesiphon. Pistos showed 
himself a faithful friend in this conjuncture; for 
though the resolution of his young charge was a 
matter of deep concern to him and dangerous in 
the extreme, yet he determined to follow him even 
to Ctesiphon. They took the shorter, though less 
safe, of the two ways which led from Carrhae to 
the Persian metropolis, sailing along the Tigris, 
whose waters reflect the walls of Ctesiphon on one 
bank, and on the opposite shore those of Seleucia. 
Immediately on landing they went to the dwelling 


158 


Tigrartes. 

of Tampsaore; but Theda was not there. They 
found the whole family plunged in the deepest 
grief, for Theda was in prison because of her 
religion, and might be sacrificed at any moment, 
in the most barbarous manner, by the cruel Magi 
who were all - powerful in Persia. Naturally 
enough, Tigranes, having dared so bold an enter- 
prise as to come back to Ctesiphon with the 
avowed purpose of seeing his father. Sapor, face to 
face, was not a man to leave untried any means to 
save the destined victim. When alone he began 
to reflect on this sad event : “ and shall such a 
noble and pure soul,” he thought, ‘'be threatened 
with impunity by those perfidious wretches, the 
same who snatched the crown from my brow, and 
deprived my mother of kingdom, honor and life? 
No ! So long as the son of Sapor can wield a 
sword, this shall not be !” and under the impulse 
of this resolution he would have acted at once, but 
the prudent counsels of Pistos and further reflec- 
tion on his own part, induced him to follow a less 
hasty and violent course of action. However, he 
determined not to delay in seeking to obtain an 
interview with his royal father, to whom he wrote 
as follows : 

“To the King of kings. Brother of the Sun and 
Moon, allied to the Stars, to the great Servant of 
Ormuz, of the race of the gods. Sapor, Giant of 
giants, greeting:* 

* These and other such high-sounding titles were much prized, 
and always assumed by the Persian monarchs. 


A Bold Resolve. 


159 


“I, Tigranes, ask to see my father. I have no 
request to make, but only that I may speak to him 
once, that I may rejoice in the greatness of his 
glory, and then I shall be happy to return whence 
I came, there to remain for the future. If the 
Great King has forgotten the ancient decree of 
death against me, let him give me a sign by touch- 
ing his royal diadem as he crosses the threshold 
of the temple of Baal. If he shall do this, remem- 
bering that he is a father, then I shall present 
myself at the gates of the palace in the dress of a 
Persian noble, unknown to all, and the Great King 
may order me to be admitted into his presence. 
Should my request be refused, it will be vain to 
seek for me ; I am but as a grain of sand on the 
vast sea-shore, but as a little bird of the air in a 
boundless fofest.’’ 

The letter was sent to the king by an unknown 
hand. In this, as in all else that he did during his 
brief stay at Ctesiphon, Tigranes was guided by 
Pistos, whose practical knowledge of Persian cus- 
toms "'and of the spirit of the court, enabled them 
so to act as to escape all observation or suspicion. 
The king received the letter on the same day on 
which it was written, and on the morrow, as he 
was proceeding with great solemnity to the temple 
of Baal, he signified his acquiescence, for at the 
moment of stepping over the threshold of the 
grand entrance, he threw aside his royal mantle, 
and, raising his arm, touched with his sceptre the 
royal crown upon his head. Hardly had the king 


1 6 o Tigranes. 

returned to the palace when Tigranes presented 
himself in the dress prescribed by the ceremonial 
of the court, with his hands completely covered 
by his long sleeves. He was at once admitted to 
a private audience. Sapor seemed to be repressing 
some great emotion as he looked upon the noble 
youth kneeling before him, but recovering himself 
promptly, he touched him with the royal sceptre 
and asked : 

“ Who are you ?*^ 

‘‘A son of the Great King,’* replied Tigranes. 

“ Rise anddet me embrace you,” said the king. 

Sapor, after holding him at arm’s length, and 
eyeing him two or three times from head to foot, 
pressed him affectionately to his bosom. 

“ But,” said he, ” what can you seek in this 
country, where you are proscribed, where any one 
who recognizes you could work your ruin? Do 
you not know that even your father, with all his 
power, would be unable to save you from the rage 
of those who gave him the sceptre? Who has 
revealed my secret ? Who has violated the oath 
made to me, which was to preserve the peace 
of my realm and secure to you an honorable 
privacy ? ” 

“ My father, did your whole court know of my 
presence here, they would not stir hand or foot 
to remove me if they knew also what is tiie object 
of my coming. Piacidus, my Roman foster-father, 
in the delirium of his last moments, tore away the 
veil which hid from me my birth and parentage; 


A Bold Resolve. i6i 

and now I have come, not to disinherit some one 
more fortunate than myself, but only to hear 
myself once called your son by your own lips, and 
then I shall depart.” 

During these last words of Tigranes, the cloud, 
which had been gathering on the brow of the 
Persian monarch, gradually passed away, and now 
Sapor, assuming a milder and more familiar tone, 
began to converse freely with his son, inquiring 
minutely into all the particulars of the dearth of 
Placidus. He was gratified to learn that the 
Roman had been faithful to his promises, and that 
Tigranes had been left with an ample fortune at 
his disposal, but he wished still to continue the 
princely allowance which he had been wont to send 
annually by a secret agent. Tigranes expressed 
his gratitude, and then, at his father’s request, 
exposed to him the plans he had formed for the 
future ; he was too frank to conceal anything, and 
Sapor learned that his son was one of the most 
intimate confidants of Julian, and was likely soon 
to form part of the imperial household. 

‘‘And does Caesar know who you are?” asked 
Sapor, with some agitation. 

“ I swear to you,” answered Tigranes, “ that he 
has not the least suspicion of it, nor has any other 
living man; and he shall never know it.” 

“ But what is your purpose ? What can you 
seek at the court of your father’s enemies ? What 
if they should arm you against your own father?” 

The arms would never be wielded by my hand.” 


I 62 


Tigra7ies. 


“You are not hiding any secret plan from me?“ 

“No; I am your son. The only crown I seek 
now is philosophy, since every other diadem is 
taken from me.“ 

“ It is fate that has snatched it from your brow. 
My hand saved your life, and did not rob you of 
the sceptre.” 

“ I assure you once more, that now I desire no 
crown but that of wisdom and learning. Never 
shall the day dawn on which I shall draw the 
sword against my native land.” 

Sapor was not destitute of noble instincts. At 
these words, uttered by Tigranes with decision and 
feeling, the king clasped him in his arms and held 
him for some moments closely pressed to his bosom. 

“ Now I know that you are my son,” he 
exclaimed with a look of fatherly pride, “and 
these noble words reveal it to me more than even 
the lineaments in which I trace your resemblance 
to myself. I know you by those lofty sentiments 
which tell me that truly the blood of the Sassanidae 
courses through your veins. Go, now, far from 
this your native land, a land of death for you; 
hide the glory of your ancestry, that the name of 
son of the Great King may not be dishonored by 
your low estate. Keep yourself safe from the keen 
eyes of my own servants, safe from the suspicions, 
from the insatiable hatred of the cruel Magi, and 
bear with you always the love of your royal 
father.” 

“ My wish has been granted to the full. And 


A Bold Resolve. 163 

now, my father, I ask only one favor, one which 
you can easily grant, a mere nothing’' — 

“Quick! name it,” said the king, hurriedly. 
“At any moment we may be discovered and 
betrayed.” 

“There is a Christian virgin in your prisons; I 
ask only her liberty.” 

“What do you ask! Do you not know that I 
have ordered the destruction of all monasteries of 
Christian virgins, and that those who refuse to 
obey my orders are doomed to a violent death? 
I have already sentenced a number of them myself. 
But what interest have you in this maiden?” 

“ She is the daughter of one who has given me 
hospitality in Carrhae, and her only crime is to 
have fallen under the censure, of the Magi, because 
of her religion.” 

“ I could not, for any earthly reason, save a 
Christian from the rigor cf the law. I have sworn 
to exterminate the whole sect which favors that 
superstition, which is of Roman origin, and threat- 
ens the safety of the empire. If you are Tigranes, 
my son, you will feel the same contempt and 
hatred for the Christiarns.” 

“Father,” said Tigranes, with deep feeling, “give 
me Theda.” 

“ Do you love the maiden ?” asked Sapor. 

“ I have not yet learned to love her, though I 
may yet do so. She was my playmate in child- 
hood, and she bears the name of my mother” — 
and here his voice quivered with suppressed emo- 


1 64 Tigt'anes, 

tion. Sapor himself felt an unwonted tenderness 
in his heart at the mention of that name, which 
recalled such tender memories, and, after a mo- 
ment’s hesitation, he replied : 

‘‘ On the word of the Great King, if Theda is 
not already condemned, I shall, on this very day, 
order her to Le restored to her parents; but if the 
High-Priest has already pronounced the decree 
against her, there is no hope, for his word is all- 
powerful in matters of religion/* 

Tigranes bowed low and kissed the royal sceptre 
in gratitude for the promise, for he knew that 
Theda was not yet condemned. The trial of such 
prisoners was held in public, and his hosts had 
assured him that Theda had not yet appeared 
before the tribunal. As Tigranes was bowing 
before the king, a noise was heard without as if 
many persons were gathering on the portico which 
looked out upon the great square before the palace. 
Sapor hastily embraced Tigranes, and pressing a 
kiss upon his brow said, in a hurried tone : 

“ Haste, away ! But remember always that you 
are my son. Great necessities weigh upon mighty 
monarchs as upon the poorest of their subjects. 
Yet, though all Asia trembles at my name, I can 
do only one thing for you — I can only love you.” 

‘‘ It is all I ask. Be sure that I shall never do 
aught unworthy of the name of the Sassanidae !” 


X. 


THE RESCUE. 


' REAT as had been the ardor of Tigranes to 
reach Ctesiphon, and to have an interview 
with his father, Sapor, still more ardent was 
now his desire to hasten, though with immi- 
nent personal risk, to the rescue of Theda. Sapor 
kept his promise, and ordered the release of the 
Christian, maiden ; but the High- Priest, Mauptas, 
took means to evade the royal command. He 
sent to Tampsaore to inform him that *Hhe King 
had graciously pardoned the girl Theda, and 
ordered her to be returned to her family, but that 
unfortunately she had died in prison a few hours 
too soon to enjoy the benefit of the royal clem- 
ency; still it was good that they should be made 
acquainted with the divine clemency of the Great 
King, and should be duly grateful for it. It would 
be useless for them, he said further, to trouble 
themselves about the body of their daughter, for 
it had been buried in a common grave with those 
of the Christians who had been put to death.’' 
This artifice did not deceive Tampsaore and his 
family, much less Tigranes, who had certain infor- 
mation that Theda had been taken from the city 
to a country house belonging to the High-Priest, 

165 


1 66 


Tigi^anes. 


and accordingly he quietly left the house without 
telling anybody whither or in what company he 
was going. He returned quite late at night, and 
meeting Tampsaore alone, he said to him : 

“ I can tell you that to-morrow night Theda will 
be with you without fail.*' 

‘‘How?” 

“You must not know that.’* 

“What daring attempt have you on foot now?” 

“ Do not question me on that point.” 

“ But I fear that you are striving after what is 
impossible.” 

“ Impossible? Three of the swiftest dromedaries 
are already prepared for you and Theda; my ship 
is already being quickly towed by camels toward 
Cunaxa and Carrhae. At Cunaxa the provisions 
are purchased for the journey, and all things are 
so ordered that we shall be able to start without 
exciting any suspicion. No one will dare to follow 
or molest us, for we are protected by the word of 
the King, who has pardoned her, and the word of 
the King of Persia is an inviolable oath. Mauptas 
is too wily to move in the matter, for he would 
thus only discover his own act of disobedience, 
which would turn out badly for him.” 

“But do you mean to tear the child from their 
grasp by open violence? Only reflect; they 
might” — 

“ I ask no advice,” said Tigranes, moving to the 
door, and once more he disappeared, nor did any 
one see a sign of him during the next day. 


The Rescue. 


167 


The escort* to which the High-Priest had com- 
initted Theda conveyed her to the new prison in 
which the Christian virgin was to be concealed. 
On the evening of her arrival, as she sat alone 
watching the decline of the day, the eunuch who 
had been appointed her immediate guardian handed 
her a fan made of fresh palm-leaves, cautiously 
whispering to her, at the same time, that there was 
some message for her written on the leaves, and 
that she must destroy the fan immediately after 
reading it, unless she wished both him and her- 
self to perish in the most cruel torments. Theda 
read the following wo:^s^ 

“ Tigranes, the friend of y( 
ing over you. He will certal* 
hands of your villanous jailer, 
that He may be propitious to 

“ God grant that this be true, it come to 

pass quickly!” murmured Theda, raising her eyes 
towards the stars which were beginning to sparkle 
in the heavens above. Great and Almighty God, 
be Thou with us.” 

The name of Tigranes recalled a world of pleas- 
ant memories, thoughts of those innocent sports 
which they had enjoyed together in the bright 
days of their innocent childhood. “ And now 
Tigranes must be one of the brethren,” soliloquized 
Theda. ” But then, why does he say ‘ of your 
Christ?* It may be some new snare laid for me. 
And yet it cannot be a trick, — he recommends 
himself to Christ and trusts in Him, — he must be 
one of ours — he must be a Christian !” 


r childhood, is watch- 
fe^save you from the 
r^y to your Christ 



1 68 Tigranes. 

Then arose in the mind of Theda a succession 
of agitating reflections and doubts. How could 
any attempt at her liberation succeed against so 
many obstacles, amid so many guards? Then 
came the dread of the cruel vengeance that would 
be wreaked on her should the attempt fail; and on 
the other hand, the fear that she was perhaps for- 
feiting a glorious opportunity to win the martyr s 
crown. Such thoughts, together with the anxious, 
doubtful and trembling expectation of the critical 
moment, kept her in a state of feverish and, of 
course, sleepless excitement during the whole 
night. And all this while the timid, trembling 
Christian maiden did not see the bright angel that 
hovered around her, noting the flutterings of that 
pure young heart, and its fervent aspirations of 
deep piety, and then presented those precious 
offerings on the mystic altar in heaven, on which 
burns perpetually the sweet incense, the prayers 
of the Saints, which, breaking upon the footstool 
of the Almighty's throne, falls back in gentle 
showers of grace and mercy on the earth below. 

Tigranes, in the meantime, was not idle. Con- 
cealed by the shadows of the thick grove that sur- 
rounded the High-Priest's dwelling, he was moving 
around the prison which held the object of his 
daring enterprise, like a lion watching his oppor- 
tunity to spring upon the coveted prey, and as 
soon as the early moon had disappeared below 
the horizon he set about carrying out his hazard- 
ous undertaking. He had but one companion, 


The Rescue, 


169 


one of the rowers on board his galley, a fearless 
youth, and ready for any daring act, but even this 
solitary attendant was charged only with keeping, 
in a neighboring jungle, a pair of swift horses, 
ready saddled, to start at a moment’s notice. 
With the help of this companion, Tigranes had cut 
down a stout young sapling, which he stripped of 
its branches, and sharpened at one end. This was 
to serve as a battering ram or a lever, as need 
might require. Thus armed, he approached the 
house, which was already buried in deep silence; 
with two or three well-directed thrusts he man- 
aged to insert the sharp point of the stick between 
the folding-doors at the main entrance, and plying 
this lever vigorously he soon succeeded in break- 
ing open that barrier. So strong was the shock 
that the bolts and hinges were wrenched from 
their fastenings, and the door-posts split from top 
to bottom. Springing over the wreck he had 
made, he was striding across the vestibule, when 
several of the slaves, who had been roused by the 
noise, came hurrying down with lanterns and 
tapers to see what had happened. At the sight 
of the shattered doors and of the fiery youth, armed 
to the teeth, who was making for them with no 
gentle expression of countenance, and not know- 
ing how many of the same sort might be behind, 
the startled and half-conscious servants fled in all 
directions, calling for help. By this time the whole 
house was in an uproar, and th,e terrified inhabitants 
were running in all directions. Tigranes rushed 


1 70 Tigraiies, 

towards the main staircase, and meeting a slave 
hurrying on blindly, in terror of he knew not 
what danger, he seized him by the hair, and lay- 
ing the edge of his scimetar upon the head of the 
trembling slave, “ Lead me to where Theda is,’' 
he cried, ** or I will cleave your head in twain !” 

But there was no need to lose time in seeking 
Theda, for, when she heard the shrieks of the 
women, the cries of the slaves calling for help, the 
hurried tramp of feet, and the slamming of doors 
in all parts of the house, she instantly divined that 
her promised deliverance was at hand, and she 
accordingly hurried from her room and was de- 
scending the stairs just as Tigranes was uttering 
her name. 

Christian maiden,” cried her deliverer, as soon 
as he perceived her, in the name of the Great 
King, who has pardoned you, come with me!” 

Theda hastened toward him with instinctive 
confidence, and clung to him with the frightened 
look of a dove pursued by a hawk. And indeed, 
by this time two or three of the slaves who had 
sufficiently recovered from thsir first surprise, to 
ascertain the small odds against them, had armed 
themselves with whatever chance first threw' in 
their way, and seemed disposed to dispute their 
exit. But w'hen they met the fiery glance of Ti- 
granes, who was advancing upon them like an 
angry lion, his scimetar flashing back the light of 
their torches as he swung it around him to clear 
the way, they instinctively fell back as before 


The Rescue. 


171 

approaching death and obeyed his fierce command: 
“ Stand back ! The first man that bars my way I 
will cut down like a dog 

But just beyond the threshold they were met by 
a new and unexpected obstacle. Mauptas had 
chosen that dark and secret hour of the night to 
come to his country house, and at the very 
moment when Tigranes and Theda were issuing 
from the doorway, his litter had been set down at 
the gate. He had been startled on approaching 
the house to see lights moving rapidly to and fro 
within, and to hear the cries of the household; but 
it would be hard to describe his feelings when he 
reached the gate of the enclosure and saw the 
shattered doors lying in pieces about the threshold, 
his slaves scattered in terror and confusion, and 
his prisoner, whom he thought so carefully secured, 
now snatched from his hands by a fierce young 
warrior, who kept all at bay with his drawn scime- 
tar. 

For a moment he stood as if rooted to the spot, 
but recovering himself a little, found voice to cry 
out to his slaves, though in trembling accents: 

“Treason! Seize him!“ 

But the fiery youth was already upon them, 
brandishing his sword in a manner which promised 
to open a way for him very speedily. 

“ Slaves, strike him down cried Mauptas, 
shrinking completely behind his attendants. 

“ The first one that moves is a dead man 1” cried 
Tigranes in a tone and with a flourish of his blade 


172 


Tigi'anes. 


which showed that he was disposed to make good 
his assertion. “ Lying wretch/^ he continued, 
throwing a glance of rage and scorn upon the 
High-Priest, make way for me or your last hour 
is come ! My sword strikes in the name of the 
Great King !” 

The look of his opponent, the flashing of the 
bright scimetar before his eyes, and the name of 
the King had the desired effect upon the old man. 
His knees gave way under him and he fell back 
into the arms of his slaves, crying, in a tone of 
abject terror, ‘'Save me! save me!” 

Tigranes, leading the rescued maiden by the 
hand, passed out from the enclosure and no one 
dared to follow. 

As soon as they had passed beyond immediate 
danger and his excitement began to cool, Tigranes 
suddenly perceived that in the heat of the encoun- 
ter he had held so tightly the hand of the young 
girl that he had almost dislocated her fingers, and 
he expressed his regret at his forgetfulness; but 
Theda, who had been as much excited as himself 
by the dangers and the risks they were running, 
had not felt the pain. And now her mind was very 
busy with many thoughts suggested by the words 
and the manner of Tigranes. She had hoped that 
he was a Christian ; then she could not help 
noticing that he had shown very little Christian 
mildness and self-restraint in the affair through 
which they had just passed. Then she wondered 
who had sent him, and whither he was leading her ; 


The Rescue. 


173 


but she had not the courage to ask him any ques- 
tions, nor did Tigranes say another word until they 
reached the place where his companion was wait- 
ing with the horses. Then turning to the maiden, 
he said, in a tone of encouragement: 

‘‘Theda, fear nothing; this man is my faithful 
attendant, and a Christian like yourself. I am the 
same to you as a foster-brother. Now mount this 
horse and we will soon reach the place where your 
uncle Tampsaore is waiting for you. All is ready 
there for an immediate start; we shall move on to 
Carrhae, and, in a few weeks, I hope to give you 
back to the arms of your parents.” 

“ God reward you for this, my generous deliv- 
erer,” was all that Theda could reply. In another 
moment they were in the saddle and away. 

The ride was swift and silent. Tampsaore 
embraced his niece with tears of joy. The little 
caravan, mounted on dromedaries, set forward 
quickly; Tigranes, his rower and Pistos keeping 
close together, ready, at any moment, to draw 
their swords if occasion should offer. 


XI. 


FROM CTESIPHON TO ROME. 

little caravan escorting the Christian 
jl maiden, rescued from the hands of the Per- 
sian High-Priest, was safe in Carrhae, and 
^ while Tigranes went to the Temple of the 
Moon to receive the* response of the oracle, which 
he was to bring back to Julian, the parents of 
Theda were consulting the holy Bishop Vities 
about their desire to reward the liberator of their 
daughter by bestowing her hand upon him. On 
learning the character and position of the young 
man, and his intention of becoming a Christian, 
which step he would take before marrying Theda, 
the Bishop replied that he saw no reason for refus- 
ing his blessing on the union, for he was satisfied 
that God’s blessing would follow the young people. 
Tigranes fell readily enough into the plans of his 
grateful hosts, but the final step could not be taken 
at once, for he felt that he had already delayed 
longer in the East than he had expected, and that 
he must hurry back to Julian, in Gaul, lest he 
should seem not to be prompt in the fulfilment of 
his plighted word. Still he wished to solemnize 

174 


175 


From CtcsipJio7i to Ro^iie, 

at least the betrothal between himself and Theda, 
which ceremony was performed by the Bishop the 
day before the departure of Tigranes for Gaul. 
The holy Bishop took occasion to say a few words 
of kindly admonition to them. ‘‘Conjugal love 
among us,” said the Bishop, “ is a symbol of the 
eternal love with which the Divine Spouse loves 
the Church, a Bride without spot or blemish, en- 
dowing her with never-ceasing fruitfulness. Not 
only is it a symbol of that divine and mystic union, 
it is also a real imitation of it, and even cooperates 
with it and increases its efficacy, inasmuch as it 
concurs with grace in increasing the number of 
true believers. Hence, you see how truly lofty is 
the view which the Church would have you take 
of the bond of love which unites you to-day. 
Hence, too, the share which the priests of God 
take in the ceremony of betrothal,* and the import- 
ance given to the sacrament of matrimony by 
Christ and by the Church, whilst among the 
heathens it is nothing more than the satisfaction of 
a natural instinct. Let your minds cherish these 
holy truths until the day when you will ratify 
these promises before the altar of God. I would 
not have any one,” continued the holy prelate, 
“ think it strange that I should, contrary to my 
custom, have sanctioned the betrothal of one of 

* A.t the time of our narrative it was usual for the Bishop to 
perform or bless the betrothal. Much interesting and instructive 
information may be found on this subject in the letters of St. 
Augustin. 


Tigranes. 


176 

our sisters to one who is not of the fold. If I do 
not much mistake, Tigranes is already in heart one 
of ours.’* 

At these words, Tigranes stepped forward in the 
presence of the whole assembly and said firmly, 
though with modesty : 

‘'Yes, most Reverend Father, I am already one 
of the Brethren in heart, and so far from fearing 
the consequences of my avowal, I now here pro- 
claim, on my honor, that when Theda sees my 
face again, the holy sacrament shall have marked 
me as a member of the true fold.” 

Early the next morning Tigranes was leaving 
Carrhae, and moving rapidly on his journey to 
Gaul and to his friend Julian. Theda, accom- 
panied by her father, sought the seclusion of the 
monastery of Ibora, where she desired to spend in 
prayerful retirement, under the direction of the 
venerable Macrina, the days that must elapse until 
the time appointed for her nuptials. 

Tigranes was much surprised, on his arrival at 
Lyons, to meet his old friend Valentinian return- 
ing to Pannonia, his- native country, having been 
deposed from his office of tribune, either through 
jealousy, or — what was more likely — through the 
intrigues of the tribunes, who were more truly 
masters of the empire than Constantins himself. 
From Valentinian he learned all that had happened 
to Julian since their parting at Turin. “Constan- 
tins,” said the deposed tribune, “shows a little 
more generosity towards his nephew, and has now 


177 


From Ctesiphon to Rome. 

given him an army of ten or twelve thousand 
legionaries, but still, by way of keeping him under 
surveillance, he has sent along Barbazio, who is at 
the head of a force about three times as numerous. 
That Barbazio is an insignificant fellow, a mere 
tool of the eunuchs, and ready to fall into any 
plans they concoct. And yet with only that hand- 
ful of men Caesar has done wonders and shown his 
splendid valor. He has rescued Cologne from the 
Franks, he has put a stop to their incursions on 
our territory, has stood a vigorous siege at Sens 
with admirable spirit, and he is now carrying on a 
very active campaign against the Alemanni, on the 
banks of the Rhine.” 

Julian won indeed a brilliant victory in this last 
campaign against the Alemanni, whom he com- 
pletely routed near Argentoratum — the modern 
Strasburg — and took their leader, Cnodomarus, pri- 
soner. Tigranes had reached the camp of Julian 
on the eve of this great battle, in which he had the 
satisfaction of sharing the glory of the victory. 
Though the hour of Tigranes* arrival at the quar- 
ters of Julian found the young commander in the 
midst of a multitude of most pressing cares, for he 
was making the preparations for the next day’s 
engagement, still he would not allow his friend to 
be detained a moment, but ordered him to be admit- 
ted at once. And indeed the moment was pre- 
cisely the one in which he felt particularly anxious 
to know what was the fortune promised by the 
oracle at Carrhae. After the first warm greetings 


178 


Tigi'anes. 

of friendship, Julian took Tigranes aside, though 
not without the ever-present Oribasius, and in a 
tone of deep emotion asked him : 

‘‘ What about the letter ?’* 

“ It was delivered/’ 

‘‘And what answer.” 

“ Here it is.” And he handed to Csesar the 
white parchment folded and sealed. Julian hastily 
opened the important document, and found that it 
contained only two Greek hexameters to this 
effect : 

“The mighty tree shall fall that towered to the skies, 

And soon, where once it stood, the lowly reed shall rise.” 

” Divine response ! Most happy augury !” cried 
Oribasius, clapping his hands. 

Thanks to Diana of Carrhae!” said Julian, with 
a look of intense satisfaction : “ Eternal thanks ! 
My confidence was not vain, the more men perse- 
cute me, the more the gods protect me. Praise 
and glory to the twin-sister of Apollo ! And 
thanks to you, my friend Tigranes !” 

The real pleasure which Tigranes felt at having 
done something that could draw such expressions 
of joy and gratitude from Julian, was marred by 
a sentiment of pity which he could not repress 
when he saw the importance attached by the 
young Caesar to what he considered a piece of 
worse than childish folly. Still, he could not bring 
himself to utter a refusal to any request of Julian, 
and, in spite of his great desire to return to the 


179 


From Ctesiphon to Rome. 

East as soon as possible, he consented to go, for 
the present, to Milan in the service of his imperial 
patron. 

The late victories won by Julian had aroused 
the enthusiasm of his legions to such a pitch that, 
after his last success, they had even hailed him as 
Emperor. This display of feeling on the part of 
the troops might prove fatal to the young Com- 
mander, for the court-spies whom Constantius 
always took care to keep in his nephew’s suite, 
would naturally report such an event as a proof 
that Julian had designs upon the imperial throne. 
If their account happened to work conviction in 
the mind of the Emperor, Julian’s life would be in 
imminent peril at any moment. To avert the 
threatening danger, Julian determined to use the 
help of Tigranes and some other equally clever 
friends, who should go to Milan and do what they 
could to clear the Emperor’s mind of all suspicion. 
Tigranes would much rather have avoided this 
delay, but when he considered the great impor- 
tance of this affair to his friend and patron, who 
asked the favor of him as one really dependent 
upon him, and reflected that he might look for 
some considerable return when Caesar should 
become master of the empire, he set aside his re- 
luctance and agreed to delay his journey until he 
should have done what he could at Milan to avert 
the dangers which threatened Julian. He now 
began to indulge his fancy with thoughts of future 
greatness ; perhaps he might yet be Governor of 


1 8o Tigranes. 

Mesopotamia, then Pro-Consul of Syria, and finally 
Prefect of the East — all which golden visions 
turned out to be mere dreams, as we shall see. 
By way of greater security in carrying out his 
plans, he consulted Jovian, who was still with 
Julian. Jovian heartily approved of all his designs, 
adding that “he knew very well that Julian had 
an eye on the imperial crown, but as for any such 
thing as treachery, there was as yet none, except 
on the part of Barbazio and of Constantins himself, 
who was, with disgraceful perfidy, playing double 
with those whom he ought to trust. Valentinian 
was the first of the victims of that infamous per- 
fidy. Go, go, Tigranes,'* he added with earnest- 
ness, “ and counteract the effect of those calum- 
nies ! But before starting, would you not do me 
a favor too?" 

“Certainly; what is it?" 

“A very worthy man, a fellow-countryman of 
mine, is now groaning in chains for no greater 
crime than simply having claimed his discharge. 
I cannot help considering such treatment as most 
barbarous, especially since the poor man has 
served his full term, and now desires to withdraw 
from public life and to become a monk. Would 
you not say a word in his behalf to Julian, who 
inflicted the punishment ? His name is Martin" — 

“Martin! A Pannonian, is he not? I know 
him, a decurion of the veterans." 

“ The same." 

“Yes; I know him very well. He escorted 


From CtesipJion to Rome. i8l 

Valentinian to Lyons, and myself from Lyons to 
the camp. Certainly I shall plead strongly for 
him with Julian. But how could Julian ever put 
gyves upon so worthy a man?’* 

Jovian shrugged his shoulders; but after a. 
moment’s hesitation, he continued : “ I will tell you 
how it happened. The day after the last battle, 
Julian was preparing to pursue the Alemanni ; and 
in order to put the troops in good spirits he dis- 
tributed the pay in advance, with extra rations 
better than common, and treated the soldiers to 
military games until the hour for starting. Martin 
had been put on duty in a squadron of cavalry 
belonging to the body-guard, and was therefore 
one of the first to be called up to receive his share 
from the hand of Julian. It was very generally 
known that he had already asked for his discharge, 
and as soon as his name was called, his companions 
all looked on with silent expectation to see what 
he would do. He stepped out from his place and 
marched up to where Caesar was standing, but 
instead of extending his hand, like the others, to 
receive the money, he stood respectfully before his 
commander and said, in a firm but respectful 
manner, ‘ Most noble Caesar, now that I have 
served you faithfully, I ask that I may in future be 
allowed to serve God. I leave these gifts to those 
who w’ill remain in the army, for by accepting them 
I should be engaging to follow you to new fields, 
whereas I have resolved to serve hereafter only 
under the standard of Jesus Christ’ 


i 82 


Tigranes. 

^‘Julian’s countenance changed, a dark scowl 
settled upon his brow, and with ill-dissembled rage 
he exclaimed : ‘ Coward, you are afraid to meet 
the Alemanni face to face. That is the hypocritical 
piety which calls you from the army.' 

‘‘ ‘ Let facts show,' replied Martin, with the 
same respectful firmness, ‘ whether it is cowardice 
or faith which moves me. Set me in the front of 
the battle without sword or buckler, and armed 
with only the Sign of the Cross, and I shall dare to 
march into the midst of the enemy.' * 

‘‘At these words, Julian, with a scoffing laugh, 
turned to an officer who stood by him, and said, 
sneeringly, ‘ See that this credulous poltroon be 
put in irons and kept under strict guard.' And 
so it happens that Martin is in chains by Julian’s 
order." 

“Well," said Tigranes again, “I shall speak to 
Julian about the matter; and I shall do so all the 
more willingly because Martin would not accept 
any compensation from me for his escort, though 
I may now be able to make him one much more 
considerable than I expected, poor fellow !" 

Tigranes was as good as his word, and as Julian 
was too much in need of his friend’s services just 
then to refuse him a request so easily granted, 
Martin was released from his confinement and from 

* “Si hoc ignaviae adscribitur, non fidei, crastina die ante 
aciem inermis adstabo, et in nomine Domini Jesn, signo crucis, 
non clypeo protectus ant galea, hostium cuneos penetrabo 
Kccurus.” SuLP. Sev., Vita B. Martiniy n. 4, p. 162. 


From Cte siphon to Rome. 183 

military service. It will not be amiss to state here, 
that Martin, immediately after his release, went to 
Poitiers and placed himself under the direction of 
the Holy Bishop Hilary. We find him mentioned, 
a little later, in Church history, as the great Bishop 
of Tours, mighty in miraculous works and one of 
the most illustrious Saints of his time. 

Tigranes went to Milan and succeeded in dis- 
arming the suspicions awakened against Julian. 
This duty done, he turned his mind once more to 
the East, whither his heart was calling him; but 
true to his promise of not returning until his soul 
should have been purified by the laver of regene- 
ration, he set about preparing himself for that 
important ceremony. Following the advice of 
Martin, whom he had consulted, and out of 
devotion to the memory of Placidus, who had 
received baptism there, he set out at once for 
Rome. 


XII. 


ROME. 


■^AD Julian been sure of succeeding in the 
attempt, he could have been easily induced 
to rebel against Constantins at any moment, 
^ and thus make himself master of the Roman 
world. But he knew very well that his life hung 
by a thread which Constantins held, and which he 
could cut whenever he pleased ; and therefore, 
just as he feigned to be a Christian, though an 
idolater at heart, in order to save his life and his 
hopes of future sovereignty, so now he displayed 
the deepest respect and submission toward Con- 
stantins, to remove the suspicions of which he 
feared the consequences. It occurred to him that 
it might further his object to send to Constantins, 
as a token of homage, king Cnodomarus, whom he 
had taken, it will be remembered, in the battle 
before Strasburg. The mission of Tigranes, which 
has also been mentioned, was to accompany the 
guard which conveyed the royal captive to Milan, 
but especially to disarm any suspicion harbored at 
the Court against Julian. This stroke of policy 
took better than either Julian or Tigranes ventured 
to hope. The representative of the victorious 
Caesar was well received at court, not only by 
184 


Rome, 


185 

Eusebia Augusta, but even by Constantius himself, 
who accepted with great satisfaction this mark of 
respect from his nephew, and gave every indication 
of a complete absence of all suspicion concerning 
him. 

Tigranes lost no time in notifying Julian of the 
complete success of his mission, assuring him, at 
the same time, that he had every reason to hope 
for good treatment at the hands of the Empress, 
who was always on the alert to baffle every court 
intrigue against him. Constantius, he added, was 
wholly taken up with his plans and negotiations 
to bring about a peace with Persia, though it was 
not possible that any arrangement could be arrived 
at; he might be certain, therefore, that Constan- 
tius would very soon set out for Constantinople 
and thence proceed to Asia. This last piece of 
news was most acceptable to Julian, who felt that 
his chances of making a successful move towards 
the imperial throne would increase in proportion 
as Constantius increased the distance between him- 
self and Gaul. 

During his short stay in Milan, Tigranes did not 
fail to make several visits to Hormisdas, whom he 
now knew to be his uncle, though, true to the 
promises made to King Sapor, he never breathed 
a word about the relationship existing between 
them. Hormisdas always received him most kindly, 
urged him not to delay his baptism, and moreover 
furnished him with letters to some of the noblest 
families in Rome whose friendship and hospitality 


i86 


Tigranes. 

would be most beneficial to him during his sojourn 
in that city. While visiting Hormisdas, Tigranes 
often met there a young man, apparently about 
twenty-three or four years of age, called Sextius 
Anicius Petronius Probus. His noble birth and 
his alliance with the most illustrious Roman 
houses had already secured him posts of honor 
and distinction, and though not yet baptized him- 
self, he was always regarded as a Christian, because 
his family was one of the most pious of the Chris- 
tian households. The two young men seemed to 
have at once conceived a great esteem for each 
other, which grew stronger the more they saw of 
each other at the villa of Hormisdas. 

Meanwhile Constantins, who was as full of vanity 
as he was deficient in sound judgment, sent laurelled 
letters to the Senate proclaiming in a strain of pue- 
rile boasting, the capture of Cnodomarus as if it had 
been an exploit of his own, and announcing that he 
would send the captive monarch to Rome, that he 
might there atone, by perpetual imprisonment, for 
the war he had waged against the Republic, but 
especially that the sight of a king in chains might 
recall to the Romans the triumphs of Augustus. 
Probus was selected by Constantius to conduct 
Cnodomarus to Rome, and to hand over the dis- 
tinguished prisoner with all solemnity to the 
Roman Senate. He took this occasion to propose 
to invite Tigranes to accompany him to Rome, and 
to share his hospitality as long as he might choose 
to remain in the city, an offer which Tigranes gladly 


Rome. 


187 


accepted; and during this journey their muutal es- 
teem ripened into a warm and lasting friendship.* 

A little after three, on a bright autumn after- 
noon, the village of Saxa Rubra, now the first 
gate, about nine miles from Rome on the Fiamin- 
ian Road, was aroused by the entrance of a body 
of Roman troops, consisting of foot-soldiers, cav- 
alry and a baggage train. It was the detachment 
bringing the ill fated king of the Alemanni to 
Rome. The car which bore the king was sur- 
rounded by a troop of cavalry, the decurion in 
command riding close by the side of his prisoner, 
while before and behind marched two companies 
of foot-soldiers. The chariots of the imperial 
officers followed, conspicuous among them, for 
its rich appointments and brilliant escort, was that 
of Anicius Probus, in which sat Tigranes at the 
side of his friend. 

‘‘See,” exclaimed Probus, pointing to the arches 
of a noble aqueduct which they were approaching, 
“ in the stone of that monument of the Augustan 
period, you may read the name of this place, 
famous in our history. How often have the for- 
tunes of Rome been decided on this very field !” 

“ I see nothing more striking than a battlemented 
wall of reddish friable sandstone, with cornices of 
a harder rock.” 

* Probus claritudine generis et potentia et opum amplitudine 
cognitus orbi romano. per quern universum pene patrimonia 
eparsa possedit. Amm. Marcell, xxvii. 11. 


i88 


Tigranes. 


Precisely ; and from that very tufa which you 
see here, comes the great name of Saxa Rubra.”* 

“Saxa Rubra! then this is the very field which 
witnessed the great battle between Constantine and 
Maxentius ?” 

“And hence I said that the fortunes of Rome 
had more than once been decided on this very 
spot, not only in the Veientian war and in the 
hazardous career of Vespasian.” 

“ Here then,” cried Tigaranes with deep emotion, 
‘‘my father fought beneath the Labarum! Here 
he interposed his own breast to shield the life of 
Constantine. But then the great shrine of Peter 
cannot be far from here, according to what my 
father used to say. In what direction must I seek 
it ?” 

“ The Basilica of the Blessed Peter is directly in 
front of us, and we might now see the roof of its 
central nave, but for this little hill which we shall 
soon have crested.” 

A few minutes after these last words had been 
uttered they had surmounted the hill, and the city 
of Rome stood before them in all its completeness. 

“See,” said Probus, directing the attention of his 
friend, “there is the Basilica of the Blessed Peter,* 
where you say that your father was baptized; that 
lofty temple in yonder valley with the great esplan- 
ade just before it, through which passes this very 
triumphal way on which we are now riding.” 


Red Rocks. 


Rome. 


189 


Tigranes gazed long and fixedly on the noble 
temple, admiring its great height and the long 
rows of windows which lined the sides of the cen- 
tral nave. But Probus roused him from rapt con- 
templation: 

“Come, come!” said he, “to-morrow you may 
examine the Basilica, but now let me introduce 
you by degrees to the Eternal City. The spot 
whereon that splendid temple now stands was once 
occupied by the Circus of Nero,* and yonder, not 
far off, you have the Porch of Caius Caligula 
stretching along towards the Tiber, but separated 
from the stream by the remains which you see 
there of the once beautiful imperial gardens. It 
was there that the gentle Caligula used to take his 
recreation after dinner. He would order the gar- 
dens to be illuminated, and then by way of pastime 
he would witness some decapitations or the scourg- 
ing of a few senators, wEich amusements he some- 
times varied by running a knight or two through 
the body, or ordering some Roman lady to be 
burned in his presence. It was within that porch 
and in Nero’s Circus that the first flames of per- 
secution against the Christians broke forth. There 
the neophytes of the Apostle Peter were clothed 
with the skins of animals and cast into the arena, 
to be the sport of savage and hungry beasts, or of 
men worse than the very beasts. Hoary old men 

* Tacitus speaks of this piece of ground as “ clausum valle 
Vaticana Spatium ” 


1 90 Tigranes, 

and venerable matrons, dressed in the hides of 
deer or of heifers, were thrown before the lions as 
they came forth foaming with rage from their 
dens; innocent boys and girls sewed up in the 
skins of wolves were torn to pieces by fierce 
hounds urged on by their still less gentle keepers, 
amid the applause of a populace drunk with the 
feast of blood, and so the butchery went on until 
the darkness brought it to an end, and then the 
great crowd poured out from all parts of the vast 
circus by its many zwmitoria. From the bloody 
sports of the amphitheatre the savage throng 
passed to the enjoyment of other sports even more 
barbarous; they filled the gardens of Nero, where 
the walks, the drives and the porches down to the 
Tiber, were lighted up by human torches, a new 
style of martyrdom which Nero had devised for 
the Christians. These victims were wrapped in 
pitch or other highly combustible matters and 
tied to stakes; then fire was applied first at the 
top of the head, in order that the burning might 
last longer, to prolong the fiendish pleasure which 
the Emperor took in riding rapidly through the 
gardens to enjoy the inhuman sight and the cheers 
of the people, worthy slaves of such a master.’' 

“Were it not,” said Tigranes, with feeling, “that 
I myself witnessed in Ctesiphon the excesses of 
idolatrous fury, when raging against Christianity, 
I should have found it hard to believe your words. 
But was not Peter himself one of Nero’s victims?’' 

“ Yes, he was.” 


Rome, 


191 


** But I thought that the sacred remains of the 
Blessed Apostle had always remained on the very 
spot of his martyrdom.” 

“ And so they have.” 

What!” cried Tigranes, turning upon his friend 
with a look of great astonishment, “was the Apostle 
buried in Nero’s Circus?” 

“ Not exactly in the circus, but very near the 
circus; in the Temple of Apollo.”* 

“ But even that choice place seems to me very 
strange.” 

“Why?” 

“ I have always remarked that the Christians 
have a great horror of the temples of the idols, and 
I cannot conceive that they should choose such a 
place for the burial of Blessed Peter.” 

“To understand the reason, one must place 
himself in the condition of the Christians of those 
days. Had they been able to find another place, 
they would certainly have preferred it. But Provi- 
dence, no doubt, secretly directed their choice, 
that the last resting place of the Apostle might not 
be invaded, and his venerated ashes scattered to 
the winds. In spite of Nero’s hatred of the Chris- 

* Anasliasras asserts that St. Peter “ was buried on the Aure- 
lian Road, in the temple of Apollo. Constantine built a basilica 
in honor of the Blessed Peter in the temple of Apollo, near the 
palace of Nero on the Vatican mount, hard by the Triumphal 
Space.” St. Jerome, who lived at the period of our narrative, 
and was then residing in Rome, confirms this statement, declar- 
ing that “the Blessed Peter was buried near the Triumphal 
Way.” 


192 


Tigranes. 

tian name, many fervent disciples of the Crucified 
had found their way into his very palace ; and it is 
likely that these selected the spot precisely in 
order to elude all suspicion. It was reserved for 
the great Constantine to clear the spot of the pro-^ 
fanities of paganism, and erect this noblest of basi- 
licas, that from his tomb the glorious Apostle 
might command the Triumphal Way.'' 

The Triumphal Way, which the tomb is here 
said to command, used to pass where now is the 
grand piazza of St. Peter’s, and over the very spot 
occupied by the obelisk and the fountains. The 
same line thus cuts in two different places the 
colonnade which borders the piazza. It is well 
known that, on the feast of Corpus Christi, the 
Vicar of Christ bears his Lord under the Sacra- 
mental veil beneath this colonnade. And that 
Lord, after crushing the pride of the Roman 
Empire by the power of His cross alone, now 
passes in a triumph of charity along the same road, 
which was so often the scene of the bloody and 
barbarous triumphs of heathenism. 


XIII. 


THE RETURN OF LIBERIUS TO ROME. 

/jj^ONSTANTIUS having* sent the holy Pontiff 
i Liberius into exile, sought to allay the indig- 
nation of the Romans and of the faithful in 
general, by confiding the government of the 
Church to an anti-pope, selected with artful malice 
by the Emperor himself Felix — for that was his 
name — had enjoyed the partial confidence of Libe- 
rius, and the choice was calculated to betray the 
simple-minded into the belief that he was accept- 
able to the saintly Pontiff. On the other hand, he 
was a weak man, who would easily yield to the 
Afian faction, and therefore be a fitting tool in the 
hands of Constantins. But the Romans, and par- 
ticularly the noblest matrons of the capitol, were 
not to be hoodwinked by fair appearances. Felix 
and his few adlierents found themselves deserted ; 
and God, who had tried the fidelity of His servant 
by ten years of exile, wished to console him by 
recalling him to his See about a year before his 
decease. 

Not long before the arrival of Tigranes in 
Rome, the Emperor Constantins himself felt a 

193 


194 


Ticket '‘fs. 

desire to vdsit that august city, into which he had 
never yet set foot. He went thither to admire its 
grandeurs, but perhaps still more to be admired 
and to display his power after his own peculiar 
fashion. His first wish was gratified far beyond 
his own expectations; and he himself confessed on 
his return to Milan, that, however much report had 
trumpeted the grandeurs of Rome, it felj far short 
of the reality. His other wish was doomed to sore 
disappointment; so far from being an object of 
admiration, the affectation of his manners made 
him the laughing stock of the Roman rabble. 
Ammianus Marcellinus says o.f him: “Augustus 
was ungainly in person and stiff in deportment. 
Even when he passed through the highest door- 
ways, he doubled up his stunted little body. He 
held his neck as rigid as if it had no joints, and 
never turned his face either towards the right or 
the left. When he whirled his fiery, chariot along 
the highways, he was never seen to nod, to wave 
his hand or raise it to his face. After examining 
the curiosities, he departed in admiration, and com- 
plained that report, which always exaggerates, had 
failed to do simple justice to the marvels of imperial 
Rome.* Even his despotic craving to signalize 
his authority had for once to yield to the wishes 
and representations of his subjects. He would 
fain have left the holy Pope Liberius to waste his 
life away in exile, and would have foisted his 
creature Felix upon the faithful, but his scheme 


* Amm. Marc., xvi. 10. 


The Returji of Liber his to Rofne, 195 


was doomed to fail. We shall not ourselves relate 
how it came to grief, but leave it to be told by 
Tigranes, in a letter from Rome to the East. After 
stating that he was among the Catechumens, and 
that his instructor was a holy priest of great learn- 
ing and prudence, Damasus by name,* he adds: 

“ In this dwelling house of the Probi, whose guest 
I am, a meeting was held composed of the most 
distinguished ladies of the metropolis. It will be 
sufficient to give you a few names. Besides Anicia 
Faltonia, the youthful wife of Petronius, who was 
the moving spirit, there were present the Empe- 
ror’s sister Constantia Augusta, the Olibrias, the 
Marcellas, the Paulas, and others of patrician rank. . 
They agreed among themselves not to let Con- 
stantins leave Rome without having brought about 
the restoration of the Holy P'ather. I have this 
from Faltonia Proba herself, who related the occur- 
rence in the following words: ‘When Constantius 
was in Rome, we assembled in that hall to delibe- 
rate about the return of our Holy Father, then an 
exile at Berea, and we agreed to go in a body to 
make the request. Constantius after twisting and 
turning, after proposing half-way measures and 
compromises, replied that he would advise with his 
bishops, to see if there were any way of satisfying 
us. We were firm and insisted on his setting the 
thing at rest immediately by an honest Con- 
stantia Augusta, the Emperor’s sister, who is 

* St. Damasus, the immediate successor of Liberius in tho 
chair of Peter. 


196 Tig'ranes. 

devotedly attached to the holy Pope, likewise 
spoke out and assured him that, if he wished to 
plunge all Rome into an ecstasy of joy, he must 
at pnce recall our Father; that if he granted our 
petition his visit to the eternal city would forever 
remain in benediction, and on the contrary, if he 
started without restoring the Pope to his flock, his 
presence among us would be remembered with 
grief by the whole Christian world, now deprived 
of its chief Pastor/” 

‘‘ Deprived of its chief Pastor,” interrupted Con- 
stantius, have I not given you Felix?” 

“‘We might say but in this city not one 
communicates with him. He sings mass, it is 
true; but he is alone to hear it. His entrance into 
a church is a signal for the faithful to leave it’ 

“ ‘ The poor man not seeing any means of 
escaping from the toils we had tlirown around him, 
imagined that he could satisfy our demands by 
recalling Liberius, while at the same time he left 
Felix at Rome. But the scheme miscarried, and 
it is well for you to know it, that when you return 
to the east, you may be able to give the true 
version of the whole affair.’ 

“My baptism,” continues Tigranes, “will not 
take place before Easter, and I did not wish to 
keep you waiting without giving you at least the 
substance of what I myself have witnessed during 
these days, forever memorable for the return of 
Pope Liberius. But, mark you, I have not time to 
write you a book on the subject; you must be con- 


The Return of Lib eiiiis to Rome. 197 

tent with the barest outlines ; the incidents, and 
the thousand little details worth knowing, I shall 
leave until we meet. After the appeal made by the 
Roman matrons, Constantins spread the report that 
on a certain day the decree recalling the bishop 
Liber i us would be read in the Circus Maximus, 
The Circus was not able to contain the crowds that 
poured in from every side. Constantins made a 
sign to the public crier, and forthwith so profound 
a silence ensued, that not even a syllable of the 
decree was lost in all that vast enclosure. The 
decree began: ‘Flavius Constantins Pius, most 
happy, most august, &c., &c., ordains that Liberius 
and Felix be the Bishops of mighty Rome, and 
that they govern the church in common.' Scarce- 
ly had these words been read, when the silence 
gave place to a deafening cry of voices exclaiming: 
‘ No ! never ! never ! among Christians there are 
no factions, one only God, one Christ, one Bishop.' 
Yells and groans and hisses rent the air on every 
side, and fell deafening upon the ears of Constan- 
tins. Whether he was overawed by so unexpected 
a demonstration and apprehended a repetition of 
an outburst which made it unmistakably clear that 
the common people did not yield to the patricians 
in their esteem for Liberius, or whether he was 
ambitious to leave Rome amid the plaudits of his 
subjects — certain it is, that he announced his 
mind to recall Liberius without insisting on the 
objectionable clause of his first decree. He kept 
his word, and the Pope having received the decree, 


198 Tigrmies. 

set out inimediately for Rome, where he met with 
a reception very different from that of his perse- 
cutor, Constantius. The people went as far as the 
Milvian bridge, and even beyond it, to lead him 
back in triumph, the clergy meanwhile chanting 
psalms, the children scattering flowers on the high- 
ways, and the matrons waving their handkerchiefs 
from their litters. All cried at the top of their 
voices: ‘Long live Liberius! Holy Father bless 
us. Hosanna to Liberius the orthodox.' He pro- 
ceeded to his palace of the Lateran. Felix had 
left it, some say by order of Augustus. The whole 
city partook in the rejoicings. On the following 
day there was an immense gathering in the Con- 
stantinian Basilica on the Vatican, where the Pope 
celebrated the holy mysteries over the tomb of 
Peter. There was no need for the masters of cere- 
monies to cry themselves hoarse in announcing to 
the people the beginning of the homily. The bas- 
ilica is the largest church in the world, and yet it 
was too small. After the Gospel, the Pope descend- 
ed from the platform of the altar and prayed for a 
while on bended knees; seven deacons accompan- 
ied him to the Ambo, where they remained stand- 
ing with their faces turned towards the faithful. 
The Pope alone ascended the steps slowly, and 
with his mitre on his head blessed the assembled 
crowd, saying, ‘ The grace and the peace of God 
the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 
you.’ Then from the stalls of the priests, and 
from the lips of the people broke the united 


The Rehirn of Liberiits to Rome, 199 

response: ^And with thy spirit’ It seemed to me 
as if the most spirited responses came from the 
places occupied by the virgins and the matrons. 
The Holy Father opened the sacred volume, made 
the sign of the cross with his hand, and seated 
himself. The audience did the same, 1 observed 
every motion; for it was the first time 1 heard a 
bishop address the people. This sermon, which 
lasted close upon an hour, was all about the neces- 
sity of adoring Jesus Christ the Son of God, one 
only God with the Father and the Holy Ghost. 
He inveighed against the Arians, frequently re- 
peated the Greek words Homoousios^ and Hontoi-- 
ousioSy which now-a-days are on the lips of all who 
profess some knowledge of Greek. But to return 
to Liberius. Sometimes he rose, most commonly 
he sat ; but he spoke with the authority of a father 
among his children, mingled with something of 
princely majesty, and he was listened to in respect- 
ful silence. At every pause of the venerable 
speaker you might have heard the noise made by 
the pens of the scribes who tried to keep up with 
his words. I had looked forward to an invective 
against Felix; not a word escaped the speaker. 
At the close, he published some holidays which I 
do not remember now, inculcated the necessity of 
denouncing heretics to the Church, recommended 

^ Homo ousios {ojuooua-iog) signifies consuhstantial, or having the 
same essence, and is opposed to Homoiousios that is, 

similar in essence. The latter was introduced by one class of 
Arians to do away with the dogma of the Trinity. 


200 


Tigranes. 

almsdeeds to the poor, recited a prayer with his 
hearers, and concluded with a parting blessing. 
One loud cry of approval rose from all the throng, 
handkerchiefs waved and hands app auded the ora- 
tor.* ‘That is the faith of Peter! that is our 
faith I . ... let Arius be anathema! . . . Liberius 
is orthodox!’ The Pope strove in vain to quiet 
them; he was only fanning the fire. They did not 
cease until he had returned to the altar of myste- 
ries. The rest of the liturgy I did not see, because 
at the conclusion of the sermon the deacon dis- 
missed those who do not take part in the secrets, 
“Let us come to political news. Petronius Pro- 
bus has been appointed Proconsul of Africa. lie 
will start soon, but he wishes Faltonia with their 
little son to wait for a better season before follow- 
ing him. She will probably put off her journey 
till Easter, the time set apart for my baptism. The 
Emperor is just now at Milan ; but friends write to 
me from there that he means to return to Constan- 
tinople, and thr.t in his consistory there is ques- 
tion about renewing the war against the Persians; 
some pretend that hostilities have actually begun. 
In case the war should make your stay at home 
unpleasant, withdraw to Antioch, whither Pistos 
has been directed to send all my chattels subject 
to your control. In Gaul, Julian is gaining one 

* These marks of approval publicly given in the Church, and 
the manner of giving them, as well as the title of Holy Father 
applied to the Pope in this letter, are in perfect' harmony with 
the time. 


201 


Rebellion and Flight. 

victory after another, and all who come from that 
quarter praise him to the skies. 

“I must conclude, because the couriers are in 
the Atrium below, only waiting for my letter to 
start. Farewell ! farewell !” 

When. Tigranes was writing this letter, he little 
thought to what dangers his faith would be ex- 
posed, how long his baptism would be delayed, 
and under what circumstances it would finally be 
received. 


XIV. ' 

REBELLION AND FLIGHT. 

haughtiness of Constantins was punished 
jl even more severely than by the triumph of 
the Holy Pontiff He was made the very 
J instrument in the hands of God for the 
exaltation of His Vicar whom he had persecuted,, 
and he was forced to act with Pope Liberius the 
part which King Assuerus compelled Aman to 
perform to Mardocheus. But, as if that were 
not enough to humble the pride of the Arian 
Emperor, his rebellion against the Church was 
punished by another rebellion. Julian, as soon as 
he knew that Constantins had departed for the 
East, relying upon the military renown gained by 


202 


Tigranes, 


his victories, proclaimed himself Emperor, and 
raised the standard of revolt against his uncle. 
Constantius wished to give two Popes to the 
Church, and to maintain himself as sole Emperor 
of the Roman Empire. Instead of this, he was 
obliged to leave the government of the Church to 
the one lawful Pope, and to see his own empire 
divided under the command of two heads. He 
who lays hands upon the Church and upon the 
Vicar of its Divine Founder, sooner or later suffers 
for it. After Constantius, who was not the first to 
prove this truth, his worthy nephew, Julian, paid a 
greater penalty; and so, one after the other, as many 
as have followed their example have come to a bad 
end. We have no need here to turn to ancient 
history; more than one ringleader among the 
authors of the present trials of the Church and of 
the Holy Father, have met a just retribution. 
And for those who are still spared, nevertheless, 
the day of reckoning will come. 

But let us go on with our narrative. The first 
news of the rebellion arrived in Rome, not from 
Gaul but from Africa. Tigranes thus wrote in 
another letter: Faltonia came to me alone (some- 
thing she never did before,) and, pale and trem- 
bling, read me a few lines of a letter she had 
received from her husband, Petronius Probus, in 
Africa, who had sent it to her by a special mes- 
senger, to prove it worthy of all confidence. ‘ If 
Tigranes is with you,’ wrote Petronius, ‘let him 
depart instantly, and with as much speed as pos- • 


203 


Rebellion and Flight 

sible, and let him not stop in any land subject 
to Constantius Augustus. The most peremptory 
orders have arrived in Africa to arrest all the 
partisans of Julian in the country, and to send 
them in chains to Antioch. If Tigranes can reach 
the Alps, let him do so before the passes are 
guarded. Only when he has crossed them will he 
be safe from torments and death. He is known at 
the court as being hand-and-glove with Julian. 
And, in truth, in the matter of treason, Constantius 
is no respecter of persons. Even in the case of 
Senators, a slight suspicion is enough to hasten 
him to extreme measures.’ Finally, there were 
orders to Faltonia to burn the letter as soon as she 
had read it; and, by w^ay of receipt, to give to the 
bearer an answer, in which she should say that the 
money and the wine asked for would be attended 
to, and should direct him to carry it back without 
delay. 

could not write these things,” continued 
Tigranes, ” unless I had a trustworthy person to 
whom I could give the letter. He is one of my 
agents, sent to me here by Pistos, for our affairs. 
He will carry the letter himself. Have no anxiety 
about me; I feel so little afraid, that I am going 
into the Forum, to hear if there are any reports 
about Julian. If the orders from Africa had already 
arrived here, I should have been arrested before 
this, unless my staying in the house of Probus has 
removed any suspicion about me. At all events, 
•before beginning my journey, ,I will find out about 


2C4 


Tigranes. 

this business. Now I am going out I have 

just come in from the Forum to finish this letter. 
It is all quite true. The advice of Probus is well 
founded. Constantins knew beforehand what was 
coming; he had good spies. Two hours ago it 
was announced in the Senate that Julian had 
assumed the purple. The coup d'etat which many 
foresaw, has fallen. Great confusion among the 
Senators — the news spreads like wild-fire — nothing 
else talked of — I must be off at once — suspicion 
about me, which has not as yet shown itself, might 
break out at any moment. What a lucky thing 
that the message of Probus came in time. O, the 
happy day of my baptism, which I thought so 
near! who can tell how far off it may be? Write 
to me at Paris, whither I fly. May God help me to 
elude the scent of the blood-hounds of Augustus 1 
Avail yourself of the services of the bearer of this 
letter, to whom I give orders to do your bidding in 
all things, without thinking of cost. Farewell.” 

Tigranes, as we may well think, lost no time in 
leaving Rome for Gaul. At every step, and every 
resting-place, from the Tiber to the Alps, he ran 
the risk of his life. He was, withal, accompanied 
by the prayers of his friends in Rome, and by those 
of the saintly maiden, Theda, his future spouse ; 
and* he succeeded in reaching a place of safety 
without any mishap. As soon as he set foot in 
Gaul, danger no longer threatened his life, but 
his faith, instead, was put upon trial. Tigranes, 
although he knew the tactics of Julian, was, never- 


205 


Rebellion and Flight. 

theless, so captivated by the new Caesar, that it 
was impossible for him to break away from his 
party. He deceived himself by trusting to the 
good sense and natural rectitude of Julian. ‘‘The 
young Emperor,” he thought, “ granting that he 
has a weakness for the gods, will never persecute 
the Church, as his uncle has continued to do. 
Better, a thousand times, a pagan prince, just and 
faithful, than these tyrants with false faces, who 
make Christianity the instrument of their policy 
and the cloak of their tyranny. Their protection 
was as bad as the hatred of a Tiberius. What did 
the Church gain from Constantins, the juggler of 
synods and of confessions of faith, so desirous to 
have himself called the pious and devoted defender 
of religion? Was it not he who had persecuted 
the priests, banished the Bishops, reviled the Pope 
of Rome, and left no stone unturned by which he 
might change the faith of the Church? Did not 
Faltonia, Damasus, and Liberius himself say the 
same thing ?” With these thoughts in his mind, 
and with the ardent desire to soon see and salute 
his friend, the new Augustus, Tigranes stopped at 
Briangon, before resuming his route for Paris. 

It happened that a poor pilgrim passed the night 
in the coach-house of the inn at which Tigranes 
was stopping. He was also from Rome, whither 
he had gone in hopes of meeting the holy Bishop 
Hilary of Poitiers, who was returning from Con- 
stantinople, but not finding Hilary, he was on his 
way to Gaul where the Bishop had already ar- 


2o6 


Tigranes, 

rived at his See. Great was the surprise of Ti- 
granes and of the pilgrim, when, on the point of 
leaving Briangon the following morning, they 
recognized each other. The pilgrim, who was no 
other than Martin, recognized Tigranes at first 
sight, but was not so soon recognized by him, 
wearied as he was by the fatigues of the way and 
worn out by penance, and the sufferings he had 
undergone in Illyria and in Milan, at the hands 
of the Arians. 

As soon, how^ever, as Tigranes recognized Mar- 
tin, he did not hesitate to run to meet him and to 
embrace him, although he was dressed as a gen- 
tleman and Martin as a beggar. Abandoning for 
the present all thought of his journey, Tigranes 
brought his beloved friend into his apartments, 
and began to put many questions to him about 
matters and events that were taking place. But 
Martin was not in a position to fully satisfy all his 
inquiries. Tigranes, in his turn, told Martin all 
about his stay in the Eternal City, and the won- 
derful things he saw there, and what a pain it was 
for him, after almost reaching the point of receiv- 
ing holy baptism, to be obliged to abandon every- 
thing, and to betake himself to a precipitate flight, 
and that too with death at his heels. 

He opened to him his design to seek safety with 
Julian, there to wait for a happy opportunity of ' 
recommencing the duties of a catechumen, and to 
fulfil in everything his firm resolution. Martin 
grieved like a brother over the misfortunes of his 


207 


Rebellion and Flight. 

friend, and especially at the delay of his baptism. 
He could have wished to have taken him with 
him into his solitude in order to finish the good 
already commenced ; but he saw too clearly, as a 
good reader of hearts, that the eagerness to see 
Julian, bright in his new purple, would have more 
hold on the heart of his friend than any other con- 
sideration. He therefore, after praising his design, 
contented himself by inviting him to put off for a 
few hours his journey to Paris, and to turn a very 
little out of his way just to see with his own eyes 
such a marvel in the Christian world as was Hilary. 
“He will have for you,” said' Martin,* “wholesome 
counsels which will strengthen you in the faith 
you have embraced, and good advice as to how to 
conduct yourself in the Court of Julian.” 

Tigranes agreed to this plan. Both mounted 
together in the same chariot. What a wonder to 
see a citizen so richly dressed, in familiar inter- 
course with a poorly clad beggar! They turned 
towards Poitiers, passing the time in lively and 
affectionate conversation. The holy man did not 
fail in the office of charity which offered itself. 
Full of the Spirit of God, and at the same time a 
master in conversation, he began at once to speak 
of the manifold calamities which afflicted the 
Church in those unhappy day^ : how the Arians 
had deceived a great number of the Bishops as- 
sembled at Rimini and in other Councils, and how 
the most of them had found that they had sub- 
scribed formularies perfectly false, which they 


2o8 


Tigranes, 


thought were Catholic; and finally 'how Liberius 
had to steer the ship of the Church through the 
midst of numberless rocks in order to reach the 
haven of safety. Martin expressed his hope that 
the Bishop of Poitiers would raise in Gaul the sign 
of the new life of the holy faith of Nice. He said 
that for himself he had formed the resolution to 
live as a hermit near Hilary; and that it was of 
-the greatest moment for all, amid so many attacks 
upon the truth, to stand by the Bishops who were 
in union with the chair of Peter, if they did not 
wish to risk their eternal salvation. 

Tigranes on the contrarv, who had no thought 

O o’ o 

of the affairs of the universal Church, being content 
only to advance himself in the knowledge of reli- 
gion, spoke of nothing else than the tyranny of 
Constantins, and the hopes he placed in Julian 
Augustus. The prudent Martin let all this pass 
without signs either of disapproval or of encour- 
agement. 

At the inns on the road they heard on every 
side the praises of Julian; not indeed from grave 
and thoughtful citizens, but from idlers who 
thronged to hear news from the travellers, and 
overwhelmed them with a thousand questions 
about the movements in Italy, which they fancied 
were great and formidable, against the new Empe- 
ror of Gaul. Martin carefully refrained from utter- 
ing a word on these political topics, but Tigranes 
continued: “The Alps are occupied, the passes 
» seized, the gorges fortified — swarms of foragers in 


209 


RebellioJi and Flight 

quest of corn and provisions — couriers and spies 
running everywhere — it is lucky for me that I 
found the means to reach the domain of Julian — 
not a conveyance is to be had. At the foot of the 
Alps and in Emilia, the legions are in motion as 
if war had been already declared.” 

“All right,” answered the crowd; ‘^Julian, too, 
has his army, and a faithful one; and that it knows 
how to fight, those on the other side of the Alps 
will find out.” And then, Death to Constan- 
tins!” cried some, while others shouted in their 
turn, “Long live Julian Augustus I” Tigranes 
echoed back these cries, and was more and more 
on fire with enthusiasm for Julian. 

Martin almost lost hopes of doing any good to 
Tigranes. He recommended him to God in his 
heart, with deep compassion. He did not, how- 
ever, neglect, when they were alone, to remon- 
strate with him on the subject, justly, and yet 
sweetly and kindly. “ My brother,” he said, ‘‘do 
not let yourself be dazzled by the rising sun. 
Oftentimes a bright dawn is followed by a cloudy 
da}' and a storm before evening. Be cautious, 
examine, watch ; be on your guard, and be ready 
to draw back in case of necessity. In these 
tumults in public affairs, the young are often 
entrapped wdthout knowing it.” These views, 
however, had no effect at all on the mind of 
Tigranes, to wLom every hour was as a thousand 
years until he could see the new Caesar in person 
and espouse his fortunes. Hence, Tigranes entered 


210 Tigranes. 

Poitiers with the firm resolve to depart as soon as 
he had saluted the holy Bishop Hilary, 


XV. 


A VISIT TO ST. HILARY. 

venerable Martin, with his charitable pur- 
1 pose always in view, was convinced that 
Hilary could, better than any one else, satisfy 
^ Tigranes as to the real position and views 
of Julian; and accordingly he seized every occa- 
sion as they journeyed on, to strengthen the con- 
fidence and reverence of his young friend for the 
saintly bishop. “The holy prelate,*’ he said, “has 
suffered banishment rather than yield a single point 
to the pretensions of the Arians. In his exile he 
was the admiration of all the orthodox bishops; he 
detected and thwarted every plan of the heretics, 
and kept up the courage of the weaker brethren, 
and before his unflinching firmness the Emperor 
was at last forced to give way and recall him to 
his See, lest the further persecution of such a man 
should ruin all his own schemes in the East. In 
a word, Hilary is the Athanasius of the West.” 

Tigranes loved to see and to converse with great 
men, and the glowing colors in which Martin placed 


2II 


A Visit to St. Hilary. 

the great bishop before him, filled him with an 
ardent desire of meeting Hilary, and but for the 
eagerness with which he longed to behold Julian 
in the splendor of his imperial purple, he would 
gladly have tarried at Poitiers, there to finish his 
probation as catechumen. But he could not 
brook such a delay. He entered the city full of 
high expectation and impatient to meet the Saint; 
and fortune favored his hopes sooner than he could 
have anticipated. 

The sun was just setting, and Hilary was leaving 
the basilica, accompanied by some of his clergy, to 
return to his modest episcopal residence. The 
faithful thronged his path, eager to behold and to 
hail the father who had just been given back to 
them; some kissed his hand as he passed, others 
the hem of his mantle, thanking God that he was 
among them again. The poor came up confident 
of receiving some alms, mothers held up their 
little children for his blessing, and many besought 
him to enter their dwellings and lay his hands 
upon the sick, that they might recover. The 
good father received all these marks of his chil- 
dren’s devotion with a simple and modest benevo- 
lence, smiling on all and sending every one away 
satisfied and consoled. Tigranes did not mingle 
with the crowd which pressed around the good 
bishop, but put off his first visit until the night, 
that he might enjoy the holy man’s conversation 
more at leisure. Not so, Martin ; when he saw, 
after so long and cruel a separation, the beloved 


212 


Tigranes. 


master of his soul, he could not help throwing 
himself at his feet in the very midst of the public 
street, and Hilary greeted him with the greeting 
which passes between Saints when they meet. 

Tigranes waited till night had set in, to visit the 
bishop. He found him alone in his cell deeply 
engaged, as was his wont, in study and contem- 
plation. A modest little lamp on a wooden stand 
at the side of the table, shed a mild, subdued light 
around the room, giving it the appearance of a 
sanctuary ; the table was covered with rolls of 
parchment and letters, some in his own handwrit- 
ing, some from bishops and saints who wrote from 
the East and from the West to ask counsel of the 
holy prelate. But the most prominent object of 
all, was a volume of the Sacred Writings, always 
open upon the bishop’s table ; this was the exhaust- 
less armory whence he drew those thunderbolts of 
eloquence which thundered throughout Gaul and 
over the whole Christian world. The venerable 
old man was seated on a wooden chair, bending 
over the Sacred Volume; he held a pen over the 
sheet of papyrus that lay before him on the table, 
and so deeply was he absorbed in his work that 
he was wholly unaware of the entrance of a 
stranger, until Tigranes, drawing near in reverent 
silence, took his hand and pressed it to his lips. 
Hilary dropped his pen and turned to see who his 
visitor might be. “ What do you want, my friend, 
at this hour ?” he asked. 

“I am a catechumen,” answered Tigranes, ” fly- 


A Visit to St. Hilary. 213 

ing from Rome, and I only ask your blessing 
before setting out to finish my journey.’* 

“ The peace of our Lord be with you,” said 
Hilary. “ I know you already, for Martin, the 
holy martyr, has spoken to me of you.” 

‘‘How! a martyr ?” -asked Tigranes. 

“Yes, blessed martyr! He is fresh from his 
twofold martyrdom in Milan and in Jllyricum. 
How many sufferings he has undergone, how 
generously he has shed his blood for Jesus Christ!” 

“And he never spoke a word about all this 
during the whole journey we have made together.” 

“The servants of the Lord know that their suf- 
ferings are recorded by their Master, and that is 
all they ask. Neither should I myself have known 
aught of this, had not the news been sent me from 
there.” 

“What! And do those idolaters dare such 
things on Roman soil ?” 

“Ah lyes. The Barbarians are still in Roman 
territory ; the Arians, these heretical priests in the 
pay of Augustus” — 

“ The name of Augustus was enough to startle 
Tigranes out of the reverential reserve he had until 
then maintained ; and letting loose all the ill-will 
he bore the Emperor, he told Hilary of his hasty 
flight and dangerous journey, and how his hopes 
were all now centred in Julian, in whom he hoped 
to find the liberator of an enslaved empire. The 
gentle old man listened quietly to this outburst of 
youthful indignation, and after a moment’s pause, 


214 


Tigranes. 

raising his head, which had been resting upon his 
hand, he sighed deeply and replied : “ My son, the 
anger which seems to have mastered you, and 
which inspires such words as you have just now 
uttered, ill becomes one who is preparing to be- 
come a follower of Jesus Christ. Far more envi- 
able is the lot of the victim than that of the perse- 
cutor. Remember that your just indignation may 
be vented, not against the persecutor of Tigranes, 
but against the persecutor of the Son of God. 
Respect the Sovereign, but hate, as heartily as you 
may, his impiety, for nowhere is impiety so odious 
as upon the throne. I may say even more — you 
should pray to God for such a hatred as a special 
favor; now especially that you are going to a Court. 
Believe me, it is not easy to keep the faith un- 
swervingly amid the surroundings of a Court and 
the poisonous caresses of the enemies of God.” 

“The enemies of God! Venerable Father, do 
you reckon as an enemy of God the august Prince 
so lately proclaimed Emperor by the legions of 
Gaul ?” 

“ No, my son, I do not. The new Augustus 
thus far gives occasion for fair hopes of the future; 
even the clergy seem to augur well from this 
bestowal of the purple. As for myself, I am will- 
ing to forget the heretical practices which have 
stained his past career, and to consider only the 
throne which God has given him, for I knew that 
the incapacity and dishonesty of Constantins — for 
the truth must be told — had placed Gaul in a most 


215 


A l^isit to St. Hilary. 

critical condition, and Julian, according to all pre- 
sent appearances, seenns desirous to become its 
restorer. And indeed Constantins cannot reason- 
ably complain of this recent act of Julian’s, for he 
himself came into power through treachery and 
murder.” 

“And Julian has at least obtained the purple,’^ 
continued Tigranes, “ without bloodshed and by 
the popular voice.” 

“Yes, yes, his friends have made the most of 
the popular voice; but they do not tell how he 
obtained it. However, I, as a Priest, have nothing 
to do with that; but since the common weal, they 
say, demands it, I am satisfied ; and so I do not 
account him an enemy of God. The enemies of 
God are all round about him, and you will meet 
them at his Court. I know, on good authority, 
that he is always surrounded by sectaries from 
Greece and Asia, by men of the most desperate 
character, very brands of hell — they are the ones 
who will hound him on to the accomplishment of 
their dark designs, threatening while they feign to 
praise, and perverting him by every means known 
to their fertile ingenuity. Be cautious when you 
are among these men ; associate with the Chris- 
tians, let no one know who are your friends, stand 
in caution and fear. If ever you see that our new 
Augustus is entering upon the path traced out by 
his predecessor, fly from him as you would from a 
serpent; be not dazzled by the splendor of the 
purple or the lofty grandeur of the throne ; the sin- 


2I6 


Tigranes. 


ner can never exalt himself so mightily as to make 
us forget that he is but dust of the earth. To-day 
his pride may tower to the skies — to-morrow no 
trace of it will be left.” 

^‘Doyou then mistrust Julian? Do you really 
suspect him ?” asked Tigranes, anxiously. 

” My brother,” answered the old man gently, 
** the future is in the hands of God, and God does 
not inspire me to prophesy. What I do know, is 
that Constantins has persecuted and is now perse- 
cuting the Church ; and it may be that therein lies 
the hidden cause of this strong opposition to him 
in Gaul. Of Julian thus far I know no evil; of him 
I hear naught but Christian praise for his unques- 
tioned justice. But the purple may turn a man’s 
head, and we Christians, clergy and people — may 
God in his mercy spare us ! — deserve new scourges 
rather than pardon and peace.” 

** Then you mistrust the good intentions of 
Augustus ?” 

I do not look to the future.** 

^‘But you have your fears?” 

have no fear. Kings are God’s representa- 
tives on earth ; their greatness and their power are 
measured by their piety and their justice. If they 
fall so low as to become representatives of Satan, 
their perfidy may kindle the fire of persecution; 
but, after all, their own glory is the first thing con- 
sumed by those flames, which are not long in 
sweeping away the imperial mantle and the crown. 
See how the star of Constantins is now fast sinking 


A Visit to St, Hilary. 


217 


from its zenith, rayless and inglorious. The Church 
may indeed suffer; she can never perish! Woe to 
him who lays a finger upon the spotless Spouse of 
Christ r . 

Tigranes was cut to the quick by these words, 
which seemed to him clearly to breathe a deep 
distrust and suspicion injurious to Julian. But the 
great veneration universally felt towards Hilary, his 
wide-spread reputation for great learning, and the 
halo of a sanctity, attested by miracles, which ever 
surrounded him, forbade Tigranes to attack him 
openly. He mastered the feelings uppermost in 
his heart, and simply replied in a modest tone : “ I 
feel very confident that the reign of Julian will 
bring salvation to the Church, that he will shake 
off the meddlesome influence of the eunuchs, and 
that never will Christianity- have to complain of 
him, whatever may be his sentiments as an indi- 
vidual.’* 

Hilary made no reply, but only heaved a deep 
sigh. Tigranes continued : 

“ I am quite sure, too, that in his Court I shall 
find no difficulty about practising the Christian 
religion, which I have embraced forever, and of 
which nothing on earth shall ever deprive me.” 

‘‘Go, then,” said Hilary, “go to Paris, since you 
have made up your mind so positively. May the 
angel of the Lord accompany you and strengthen 
you in^your good resolutions. And since it will 
be good for you to have a counsellor ever with 
you, take this little book which I have just written 


2i8 


\ 


Tigra:ies, 

to be a guide and companion for both clergy and 
laity in these perilous times. My copyist has just 
brought me in four copies of it; this one shall be 
for you, keep it as a token of my love for you. 
Read it, study it carefully, and never depart from 
its spirit and principles, for it is not mine, but rather 
a little extract from the divine wisdom of this 
sacred volume.** 

Hilary took up from among the papers before 
him a little roll of parchment and handed it to 
Tigranes, who glanced at the title as he took it and 
read : Against the Emperor Constantins, 

‘‘It is a work against Constantins!’* he ex- 
claimed, with joyful surprise. “ Good ! it will be 
very acceptable to our new Augustus!” 

“That was not my purpose in writing it,” said 
Hilary, “I mean it as a defence of the Church of 
God against a persecutor, and I give it to you for 
yourself. And I will even say that you must 
change the name from Constantins to Julian, 
should you ever perceive that Julian is treading in 
the tracks of Constantius.” 

It was now rather late, and the turn which the 
conversation had taken in regard to the idol of 
his admiring affection disinclined Tigranes to pro- 
long the interview ; he accordingly rose to take his 
leave. He feared, moreover, that any further con- 
versation might give occasion to the bishop to 
qualify or virtually retract the approbation given 
to the purpose expressed by Tigranes, of going to 
the court of Julian, whither his heart had already 


A Visit to St. Hilary, 


219 


preceded him on the wings of desire, and he kept 
studiously out of sight the fact that the approval 
had been given in a very doubtful way, and only 
because the ardent youth was hopelessly infatu- 
ated. So he went-away, taking with him the holy 
bishop’s blessing and his little book. 

He found Martin awaiting his return in the 
atrium, and eager to know the result of the inter- 
view. It soon became evident to him that no 
material change had been brought about in his 
young friend’s designs ; but when he heard of the 
book received from Hilary, he pressed Tigranes 
very urgently to lend it to him for that night. 
And so with varied converse about the little work 
and other entertaining topics — for Martin, as we 
have said, was a perfect master of the art of conver- 
sation — they wended their way together to their 
common lodgings. 


XVL 


IDEAS OF ST. HILARY. 

fierce storm of revolution which has been 
jl shaking to pieces the old monarchies of 
Y; Europe, and which seems now to be spend- 
^ ing its fiercest rage on Italy, has brought 
out an occasional Decius, a Caligula, or a Maxi- 
mian on a small scale ; and we are becoming daily 
more familiar with the watchword of the revolu- 
tionary clubs and newspaper organs, “Death to 
the Priests! Down with religion! War to the 
bitter end against God and against His Christ!’* 
That these tigers are in real earnest is sufficiently 
evident from the bloody tracks they have left in 
the streets of Paris, Madrid and Rome, and in a 
hundred other places. 

Behind the common herd, jostling and crowding 
in fierce eagerness for their bloody prey, come the 
more elegant and sleek-skinned members of the 
fraternity, the refined secret-society men, deeply 
read in the wiles of diplomacy, and skilled in turn- 
ing the very laws they despise to the Qompassing. 
of their ends, with the ever-ready “ Hail Master’* 
on their lying lips ; a brood of hypocrites, more 
guilty, more perfidious, more pernicious, a thou-. 

220 


V 


221 


Ideas of St. Hilary. 

sand times, than their miserable dupes. Indeed 
the natural indignation of honest men may drive 
back the lesser sort for a time to their dens, but 
the leaders meanwhile are worming themselves 
into the upper circles of society; they sit in the 
legislative halls, and even in the councils of kings; 
they are, forsooth, the advocates of peace, of pru- 
dent retrenchment, zealous for the national honor, 
and even — God save the mark ! — the peace-makers 
of society and the guardians of the Church’s honor. 
The events of the last few years, which have culmi- 
nated in the taking of Rome and in the captivity 
of the Holy Father, have confirmed by the unan- 
swerable logic of facts the truth of what we have 
just said ; for the deeds of impious violence, per- 
petrated with the sanction of law, are far more 
tyrannous than those committed amid the un- 
bridled license of popular frenzy. 

Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, had to do with just 
such men as these, centuries ago. Indeed, the 
writings of the holy bisliop against these enemies 
of the Church would be made most natural and 
appropriate for our own times, by the mere sub- 
stitution of those names too often seen of late in 
official journals, attached to oppressive decrees 
against seminaries, priests and bishops, or to the 
barbarous warrants in virtue of which the sacred 
abodes of harmless and helpless ladies have been 
violated, because they are consecrated to the Lord. 
Constantins seems to live again in those lying 
guarantees with which the venerated Head of the 


22 2 Tigranes. 

Church is mocked in his prison on the Vatican. 
There is the same parade of loyal professions, the 
same perfidy, the same truthlessness. 

Tigranes, after his return from his visit to Hilary, 
retired to rest, and might have slept soundly after 
his journey, but in his dreams he was carried for- 
ward to the presence of his imperial patron and 
friend, who seemed to receive him joyfully and to 
load him with favors. Martin, on the other hand, 
retired to his room with the little treatise of his 
holy bishop, and spent the whole night in eager 
perusal of its pages, as if it had been the word of 
some angel come down from heaven. His own 
enjoyment of that rich spiritual feast made him 
most eager to share it with his young friend, for 
whom he foresaw that many dangers were in store ; 
and he was not without fear that, once caught in 
the giddy whirl of Court life, Tigranes might easily 
forget even his possession of Hilary's gift. With 
these charitable feelings in his heart, Martin met 
Tigranes early in the morning. ‘‘ What a precious 
treasure,” cried he, “you are taking to Paris in 
this little volume ! It is as great in heavenly 
wisdom as it is small in bulk.” 

“ Did you read it last night instead of sleeping?” 
asked Tigranes. 

“Yes, every word,” replied Martin, “all in a 
breath, without stopping for a second, except to 
praise God for having given to the world in these 
wicked times so excellent a teacher of His holy 
doctrines. These are not the mere lucubrations 


223 


Ideas of St. Hilary. 

of a well-read Christian scholar; they are the 
outpourings of a strong faith from the heart of a 
martyr who defies the executioner ; they are as the 
roaring of the lion of Juda standing guard on the 
battlements of Sion. From this little book flashes 
forth the lightning that strikes down threatening 
monsters ; it beams with a strong, clear light to 
guide the faithful soul to the haven of eternal 
truth, to light his way amid the shoals and quick- 
sands of sectarian fallacies.” 

“You are drawing a grand picture. Let me 
see the book.” 

“ Do but listen to the opening lines,” said 
Martin, unrolling the parchment, and as he read 
his voice trembled and his eyes flashed with the 
enthusiasm that filled his soul. *It is now time to 
speak, for the moment is past when we may hold 
our peace. Let us listen to the voice of Christ, for 
the reign of anti-christ is begun. Let the true 
shepherds lift up their voice, for the hirelings have 
fled. Let us lay down our lives for the lambs of 
the flock, for thieves have broken in and the 
roaring lion is prowling about the fold. Let us go 
forth with this cry to martyrdom, for the angel of 
Satan has changed himself into an angel of light. 
Let us go in by the door, for no one cometh to 
the Father but through the Son. Let us unmask 
the false prophets as they glory in their boasted 
security, so that amid heresies and schisms the 
true faithful may be known. Let us manfully bear 
these tribulations, of which the like has not been 


2 24 Tigrmies. 

known from the beginning of the world, trusting 
always that these days will be shortened for the 
sake of the elect. Now is fulfilled the prophecy 
which says : “ For there shall be a time when they 
will not bear sound doctrine, but according to their 
own desires they will heap to themselves teachers, 
having itching ears; and will turn away indeed 
their hearing from the truth, and will be turned to 
fables.^’ But yet we must await with undoubting 
confidence the fulfilment of His promises who 
said: ‘‘Blessed are ye when men shall revile you 
and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil 
things against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice 
and be exceeding glad, because your reward is 
very great in Heaven ; for so they persecuted the 
prophets that were before you. You shall be 
brought before governors and before kings for my 
sake; but he that shall persevere unto the end, he 
shall be saved. And fear not those that kill the 
body, and cannot kill the soul; but rather fear 
Him that can destroy both soul and body in hell/' 
Let us not be solicitous about ourselves, for the 
very hairs of our head are numbered. But, guided 
by the light of the Holy Spirit, let us follow the 
truth, that the spirit of error may not seduce us 
with lies; let us adhere to Christ in death, that we 
may be united with Him in the glory of His 
kingdom. We may not hold our peace any 
longer, for to be silent now would betray our 
faint-heartedness, not show forth our modesty.’ ” 

“ Why, he is breaking down dykes that will let 


Ideas of St. Hilary. 225 

in a torrent upon us !’* exclaimed Tigranes, with 
some alarm. 

‘‘Very well, he will open them if need be,” 
replied Martin. “ For years and years he has 
sighed, and prayed, and remonstrated, and borne 
with the Emperor who has now sold himself, soul 
and body, to the schismatics, all the whik pro^ 
claiming that he asks only for peace; who styles 
the bishops his fathers, and meanwhile sends new 
formulas of faith to Pope Liberius, as if the Bishops 
of Rome were under his tuition; who accuses us 
of being untractable, whilst he is plotting under- 
hand the complete overthrow of religion. And 
will you tell me that it is not time for the shep- 
herds of Christ’s flock to raise their voices at last 
and to put the faithful on their guard ? We are 
called to be citizens of Heaven, and Jesus Christ is 
the King of kings. But hear the noble words of 
Hilary: ‘Oh, that it had seemed good to Thee, 
Almighty God, Creator of all things, and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the time of my life 
and of my witness to Thy Holy Name and the 
finishing of my ministry had been placed in the 
days of a Nero or a Decius ! Then, by Thy divine 
mercy, I should not have feared the storm. For 
one may fight with confidence in open battle against 
him who denies Christ, against torture^ and exe- 
cution. Then Thy people would follow us, its 
leaders, to the glory of a public confession of Thy 
Name, fearless of persecution. . But now we must 
struggle against a crafty persecutor, against a 


226 Tigranes. 

deceitful enemy, against Constantins, who is play- 
ing the part of anti-christ, who does not lay the 
scourge upon our back, but lavishes his adulation 
to our face, who does not chain us in a dungeon, 
leaving our spirit free, but binds us in his palace 
with the gilded fetters of offices and honors; he 
does not strike off the head with a sword, but 
kills the soul ; he boasts himself a Christian, and 
yet denies Christ ; he professes to reverence the 
bishops, that they may no longer be bishops/ ” 

“But, Martin,” cried Tigranes, “that sounds 
more like the style of a tribune than of a bishop — 
be it said with all respect.” 

“ But, Tigranes,” replied Martin, “you should 
know that Constantins alone has done more harm 
to the Church by his wiles than many tyrants 
together could ever do by the sword. And now 
he is only seeking a good opportunity to destroy 
religion altogether, simply to please the schis- 
matics. Are you not aware that very many have 
been deceived already by his hypocritical profes- 
sion of protecting the Christian faith, by the Judas 
kisses he is lavishing on the Bishop of Rome, by 
his eternal protestations that he is anxious to secure 
freedom of conscience to all ?”* 

* Lest any one should imagine that in this sketch of the times 
of which we ^^rite, we have unduly heightened the coloring of 
the picture, we may say that we do but quote literally from the 
work of St. Hilary, mentioned at the opening of this chipter. 
Such was indeed the character, such were the deeds of Constan- 
tius, as may be gathered from contemporaneous monuments. 
That these very charges were made against Constantius to his 


22 / 


Ideas of St. Hilary. 

‘‘At any rate/’ rejoined Tigranes, cannot see 
that this book will be of any use to me at the 
court of our new Augustus in Paris. As for Con- 
stantins, I leave him to answer for himself; but 
Julian! Julian is quite another man. I answer for 
it that he will show us the bright side of the pic- 
ture.” 

“ God grant it 1 But still let me entreat you to 
keep this book, and carefully too; and should it 
ever happen — for who can foretell the chances of 
the future — that we find our hopes* deceived, then 
take care to change the name in it, as Hilary 
recommended. Depend upon it, the saints do not 
say such things at random. Change it especially 
here,” and Martin went on to read again : ** *1 say 

face, by the legates of the Roman Church, we know from the 
writings of Lucifer of Cagliari, who was one of them ; “ Cum sis 

Christianus dixisti: Pacem volo firmari in meo imperio, 

cupiens violare in nobis pacem dominicam, scindere populura 
Dei.” Lucif., De non conven., cum haer., 0pp. p. 775. — Con- 
stantins threw the blame of the schism on the obstinacy of the 
clergy : “ Dixisti' ’nos fuisse atque esse inimicos pacis, hostes 
unitatis.” Ibid, p 768. — Constantins proved false to the sol- 
emn promises be had sworn to the bishops ; “ Litteris tuis jurasti 
Alexandrinis nihil te mali deinceps facturum Athanasio, et nunc 
quaeris eum interficere.” Id. Pro S. Athanas., lib. II., 0pp. 
p. 856. — The works of Lucifer, who is styled Paint by some, 
those of St. Hilary, of St. Athanasius, and even of contempo- 
raneous Pagan writers would, at need, furnish additional proof 
of what we say in this chapter. Are not the revolutionists of 
our own day carrying out the very same policy towards the 
Pope and the clergy? And if tyrants now repeat the acts of the 
tyrants of earlier days, what wonder that the bishops now repeat 
the very words of those who suffered before? 


228 


Tigranes. 

to you, Constantius, what I should have said to 
Nero, what I should have repeated to Decius and 
to Maximian : You are making w^ar upon God, 
you are torturing the Church, you are persecuting 
Saints, you hate the followers of the Gospel, you 
would destroy religion, you are laying tyrannous 
hands upon divine, not human, things. Such are 
the deeds for which you must answer in common 
with them; now let me tell you your own. You 
falsely claim to be a Christian, and you are a new 
enemy of Christ, the forerunner of anti-christ, and 
the priest of his mysteries.' . . . ." 

These words produced a visible impression upon 
Tigranes, for he knew full well that Julian was an 
apostate from the faith of his baptism and a wor- 
shipper of idols; he made an effort to hide his 
annoyance, and Martin, without seeming to per- 
ceive it, went on reading. But when, a few lines 
further on, he came to a passage in which the 
hypocritical reverence shown by Constantius to- 
wards the bishops was clearly unmasked, and his 
lying professions, his perfidious persecution and 
still more perfidious flattery of the Bishop of 
Rome, shown in their true colors, Tigranes, 
unable to contain himself longer, interrupted his 
friend : 

‘‘No, no! never, never! My noble Julian will 
never descend to such dastardly baseness. Whe- 
ther he is a good Christian or not, I do not pre- 
tend to know or to decide, but lying, deceit, under- 
hand treachery, are things unknown to the great 


229 


P7'epa7'aiionB for War, 

and lofty soul of Augustus. Upon my honor, 
were it not for the veneration in which I hold the 
Bishop of Poitiers, I should soon make a pile of 
ashes of that book. I know that the day will 
never come when I shall need to read those 
pages, much less to change the name of the base 
Emperor of the East for that of the frank and 
generous Augustus of Gaul. Long live Julian !*' 
And with these words he took his leave of Mar- 
tin, with constrained courtesy, for in spite of all his 
efforts, his countenance too plainly betrayed the 
vexation of his soul. Such is the power of a 
passion ! 


XVII. 

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. 

(^^^IGRANES left Poitiers, as we have seen, vexed 
% and uneasy at the words of the holy bishop 
Hilary, and no better satisfied with his friend 
^ Martin. Though neither of them had directly 
foretold the disastrous future of the new Emperor, 
their very reticence and mere apprehensions were 
quite enough to chafe Tigranes, who could see in 
Julian only a model of uprightness and the saviour 
of the Roman Empire; and though he could not 
see clearly in what his patron had ever shown 


230 


Tigranes. 

himself a friend of the Church, yet he felt sure 
that he was not its enemy, and that during his 
reign the Christians would at all ev ents have 
nothing to fear. It was not long before the san- 
guine youth saw his bright hopes cruelly deceived. 

Julian hardly waited till Constantins was fairly 
on his way to the East before he set about secur- 
ing the Empire for himself, with all the cunning 
and duplicity, the false promises and seductive 
wiles so well known to revolutionists of every 
age; though in Julian’s operations a masterly use 
of hypocrisy was the prominent feature. His lead- 
ing idea was to restore the sway of paganism and 
demon-worship with all their attendant abomina- 
tions; he accordingly gathered into his council the 
chief ministers of these hideous rites. Besides Ori- 
basius, who had never left his side, he brought from 
the East, Eleusinus, the High-Priest of Ceres, by 
whom he had been initiated at Athens into the 
dark mysteries of that goddess, and the well- 
known Jamblicus, the greatest of the Neoplatonic 
philosophers of that day. To Jamblicus, Julian 
had written in terms of the most exaggerated 
affection and esteem, repeatedly styling him his 
great master,” the '' greatest of living philoso- 
phers,” a second Plato,” and he even publicly 
bestowed upon him the title of the “Divine Jam- 
blicus.” Certainly the Alexandrian Schools could 
not produce his equal in the philosophy of hell, or 
in the consummate art with which he explained it 
in terms apparently most orthodox, and the w^orld 


231 


Preparations for War. 

will probably never see a more crafty enemy of 
Christ and Christianity. It was natural, then, that 
Julian should call upon him as the very man for 
his purpose. A devoted and active promoter of 
paganism and demon-worship in its worst forms 
could not help hating with Satanic malignity 
everything that related to Christianity and its 
Divine Founder. It is not surprising then, that, 
as we have already said, the leading project of the 
new Caesar was the total destruction of the true 
faith, which stood forth, with the pure light of its 
heaven-born truth and the stern morality of its 
divine precepts, a silent but eloquent protest and 
a firm barrier against the degrading orgies of 
paganism, which he had determined to restore to 
their olden prominence. He was too sagacious 
not to perceive that such a change in the actual 
religious state of the Empire could not be brought 
about at once or by open measures, but that the 
game would be more surely won by the dissem- 
bling and hypocritical policy of Jamblicus, a line 
of conduct which he had already adopted in his 
dealings with his brother, Callus Caesar, and his 
uncle, Constantins. Indeed the Emperor, Arian 
as he was, would never have raised Julian to a 
share in the imperial purple, had he suspected him 
of any attachment to idolatry and magic. More- 
over, the danger of forfeiting any of his present 
chances of supplanting Constantins on the impe- 
rial throne, by the loss of many adherents both in 
Gaul and throughout the Roman Empire gener- 


2X2 


Tigranes. 

ally, where the Christian religion was supreme, 
made it a necessity for him to profess with greater 
ostentation than ever, a strong attachment to the 
true faith, which he loathed and hated in his heart. 
But to resume the thread of our narrative. 

The imperial palace at Paris stood in the midst 
of a beautiful plain on the left bank of the Seine, 
just where the slope of a little hill melts into the 
level mead, a spot consecrated in later days by the 
shrine of that glorious virgin, St. Genevieve, which 
crowns its summit. The sacred edifice was dese- 
crated during the dismal days of terror — when 
France became a prey to the great infidel revolu- 
tion which closed the last century — by its dedica- 
tion to the Great Men of the country, many of 
whom bore unhappily a striking likeness to the 
demi-gods whose place is in hell; and the visitor 
who surveyed that incongruous collection of 
“ G7^eat Men"' might well turn away in horror and 
disgust at finding St. Vincent de Paul side by side 
with those whom Julian would have hailed with 
joy as congenial friends and worthy successors to 
his throne and policy. To the honor of the late 
Emperor be it said, the desolated temple has been 
given back to Religion, and a great national scan- 
dal is thus wiped out. 

The imperial residence was, in the time of Con- 
stantins Chlorus, father of Constantine the Great, 
surrounded by a few private dwellings standing 
in the midst of spacious gardens; around this 
nucleus, at the time of which we write, had already 


Preparations for War. 233 

sprung up quite a respectable city, to which Julian 
gave the preference over all the cities of Gaul, by 
choosing it as his place of residence while in the 
province. Baths, forums, temples, circuses, thea- 
tres, in a word, all the refinements of luxury which 
Roman civilization was wont to confer upon con- 
quered nations as a substitute for their lost inde- 
pendence, had been largely granted to the Parisii, 
the former masters of this territory. But they 
had received a purer civilization through Denis 
the Areopagite. The great apostle of Gaul had 
opened the eyes of that nation to the light of the 
true faith, that light by which the darkness of igno- 
rance is dispelled, by which men are humanized 
and softened. The Christian basilica, at that time, 
was not a part of the Roman city, but stood on an 
island opposite, the very spot now adorned by the 
great Metropolitan Church of Notre Dame, the 
cradle of the ancient Lutetia Parisiorum. And 
though that temple of the earlier Christians lacked 
something of the grand proportions and rich 
adornments of its more splendid successor, yet it 
was by no means contemptible in size or beauty; 
and it had its own glory too, for it rose triumphant 
upon the ruins of the old Roman and Druidic 
superstitions. Moreover, at the very time of 
Julian's exaltation, it was the scene of a council 
famous in the annals of the Church, for it gave 
the death-blow to Arianism in the West. The 
prelates, guided by the Holy Ghost and strength- 
ened by the letters of the great Hilary, who was 


2 34 Tigranes, 

present everywhere in Gaul by his boundless zeal, 
had drawn up and signed the synodal letter which 
was to be sent to the other churches, in which they 
bore their witness to the divinity of the Son of 
God and blasted the Arian impiety. Then, rejoic- 
ing in the happy issue of their labors, they stood 
up before the assembled faithful to announce the 
result of their deliberations. Victorinus, Bishop 
of Paris, ascended the ambo, and with the usual 
solemn formalities proceeded to recite the decrees 
and the profession of faith drawn up by the 
bishops. The assembly heard him with visible 
emotion, and, at the close, unable to repress their 
pious enthusiasm, broke out into loud acclama- 
tions : “We profess the same belief! The faith of 
Nicaea! The truth of Jesus Christ! The Gospel, 
the Gospel! Long live the orthodox bishops! 
Anathema to the blasphemers of the Word ! 
Anathema to the heretic Arius !” This was the 
very day on which Tigranes reached Paris, and 
as it was a Sunday, his first thought was to go to 
the Church. What was his surprise, on entering, 
to find Julian there, surrounded by all the pomp 
and glitter of imperial stale, and accompanied by 
the usual imperial suite! The prospective Empe- 
ror stood at the head of the central nave, appa- 
rently absorbed in devout attention. To the epis- 
copal salutation he made answer with the faithful: 
“ And with thy spirit;*^ he crossed himself before 
and after the reading, and seemed to take part in 
the general assent expressed by all at the close. 


235 


PrepsXrations for War, 

The desired effect was produced; the faithful 
looked meaningly at one another, exchanged sig- 
nificant expressions of joyful anticipation that the 
pious Augustus of Gaul would soon repair the 
wrongs done to religion by the impiety of Con- 
stantins. Tigranes was too frank and straightfor- 
ward himself to suspect another, and above all his 
idol Julian, of anything like open hypocrisy, and 
his first impulse, accordingly, was to condemn in 
his heart the good old Bishop of Poitiers, who 
seemed to him now to have been blinded by indis- 
creet zeal, for how else could he ever have har- 
bored even a suspicion as to the sincerity of the 
new Emperor? 

“ If he insists so much,^’ thought Tigranes, ‘‘ upon 
my reading this book against that anti-christ, Con- 
stantins, and considers it a necessary guide at the 
Court of Julian, certainly he must greatly mistrust 
Julian. Now here is Julian giving him the lie by 
his own public acts. There is no mistaking such 
marks of Christian piety; Caesar is proving now 
that on the throne he still remembers his early 
Christian training, and means to be true to the 
teachings and practices of his youth. What I see 
before me now, is proof enough that he has got the 
better of the temptaiions and vanities of his later 
life. Indeed it could not be otherwise with such 
a noble and heroic soul! It is human to err, it 
is the mark of wisdom to reform.’' Thus Tigranes 
argued within himself the case of his much loved 
patron; now his soul was filled with joy and satis- 


Tigranes. 


236 

faction at the thought that he had doubly regained 
his august friend, and the hours seemed years to 
him until he should be able to converse with Julian 
on the events which had occurred during their sep- 
aration. 

On leaving the Church, Tigranes fell in with Ori- 
basius and Eleusinus. From the conversation of 
these two pagans he might have discovered that the 
seeming piety of Julian was all hypocrisy.; indeed 
within twenty-four hours after he had partaken of 
the consecrated chalice brought to him by the 
deacon during the sacred mysteries, Julian went 
down, under cover of the night, into a dark and 
unhallowed cave to offer sacrifice to the demon 
gods of the heathens.* And even though Tigranes 
had failed to gather from these friends of the new 
Caesar the proofs of the latter’s want of sincerity, 
the words which he soon after heard from the lips 
of Julian himself should have left no doubt in his 
mind ; but his usual keenness was doubtless some- 
what dulled by the lavish show of affection with 
which he was publicly received, added to the pro- 
mise of the prospective governorship of Mespota- 
mia and the immediate appointment to the office 
of private secretary. And so Tigranes still con- 
tinued blind and devoted. 

Among the tribunes of the imperial guard in 
Paris, was the noble Valentinian, whom the injus- 
tice of Constantius had deprived of the official rank 


* Amrnian. Marcellin , xx. xxi. 


237 


Pr'eparations for War. 

he held under that despotic Emperor. This was 
fortunate for Tigranes, who had always been bound 
to Valentinian by ties of strong friendship, as we 
have already had occasion to mention. This brave 
officer had been reinstated in his office by Julian 
some time before the assumption of the latter to a 
share in the imperial purple. The two friends 
renewed in Paris their old familiar intercourse, and 
Valentinian could not help observing that Tigranes, 
in the whirl of excitement and the hurry of busi- 
ness inseparable from his new office, seemed to 
have utterly lost his once eager desire of baptism. 
Taking advantage of an old friend’s privilege, he 
one day ventured to remind him of his forgotten 
purpose. 

My dear friend,” said the Christian officer, it 
is well to serve Augustus, but it is not well to 
serve him only. I know that an Emperor far 
mightier than he had already offered you a posi- 
tion- in His court; have you determined not to 
accept it?” 

Tigranes understood very well that his friend 
alluded to his deferred admission into the Church, 
and unwilling to seem utterly careless about so 
important a matter, he replied apologetically : 

‘*One thing at a time. What can I do in the 
midst of such hurry and business? Indeed, I 
hardly feel that I am master of my own thoughts. 
Let me first see this sovereign well established on 
his throne, and then I shall bind myself to the ser- 
vice of the other. Really I cannot think of it until 


238 Tigmnes, 

the contest is over and the era of universal peace 
begun.’' 

Valentinian shook his head meaningly, accom- 
panying the act with an expression of countenance 
which betokened anything but confidence in the 
prospect held out by his friend. 

“What!” said Tigranes, evidently astonished. 
“Do you not trust him? Do you not believe that 
God has sent him to bring back order to the 
world.” 

Valentinian was a soldier, as frank as he was 
fearless, nor was he wanting in that keen and high- 
toned sense of honor which becomes a Christian 
soldier. And, unused to flattery or dissimulation, 
he spoke his thoughts plainly: “I will tell you what 
I think. I do believe that God sends him in His 
wrath which has been enkindled by our sins. As for 
Constantins, I am persuaded that God is weary of 
him. He has done all that a man can do to pro- 
voke the Almighty to tear from his shoulders the 
blood-stained purple he is dragging through Asia. 
I can conceive of no wickedness or impious folly 
which he has not tolerated and even encouraged. 
In his court there is not an honest man left, or one 
who dares to tell him the truth ; he is followed by a 
herd of base parasites who know of no duty higher 
than to applaud the senseless whims of their mas- 
ter. He must now be hailed as * Divine Majesty,' 
‘Eternal One,’ or by any other blasphemous title, 
even whilst he imbrues his hands in guiltless blood 
and sacrilegiously tampers with holy things. And 


239 


Preparations for War, 

even supposing that this were his misfortune rather 
than his fault, that it were folly rather than crime, 
how shall he be held guiltless of the malignant, 
the perfidious, the relentless warfare he is waging 
against the Vicar of Jesus Christ? There is no 
room here for the pretext of ignorance; it is open 
impiety. My dear Tigranes, I believe that this is 
what will give the victory to Julian; but should 
Julian imitate Constantins, the same cause will 
give the victory to a rival whom God will raise up 
against Julian.” 

But Tigranes was not yet prepared to surrender. 
It was only somewhat later, in Constantinople, that 
his eyes were opened at last to a knowledge of the 
Satanic impiety which filled the heart of his adored 
patron. 

The day on which the above conversation look 
place was precisely that on which the answer of 
Constantins was expected to the announcement 
sent by Julian of his unsought promotion by the 
voice of the people and of his desire that peace 
should reign between the two Emperors. In fact 
the Quaestor Leona reached Paris that very day 
with the brilliant suite and the numerous escort 
which had accompanied him from Asia. He 
brought back the reply of Constantins, which Julian 
would receive only in the presence of the people 
and the army. The ambassador was a consummate 
politician, thoroughly trained in all the intrigues 
of courts, and well known, moreover, as the impe- 
rial agent in the many shameless attempts which 


240 Tigranes. 

had been made to browbeat and coerce the bishops 
in the councils of the Church. He took in, at a 
glance, the difficulties of his own position and the 
game of Julian. But there was no remedy; so, 
making a virtue of necessity, he affected the utmost 
confidence and unconcern. The assembly was 
numerous, for the agents of the new Csesar had 
been busy among the citizens for some time, in 
preparation for the event. At the appointed hour 
Julian made his appearance with all the honors 
and emblems of the imperial dignity, surrounded 
by a brilliant staff of officers and ministers of state. 
When the enthusiastic acclamations of the multi- 
tude had ceased he ordered Leona to read the 
Emperor’s letter. The Quaestor obeyed, but when 
he uttered the words of Constantius, commanding 
his nephew to give up the purple and to lay aside 
the title of Augustus, the whole multitude broke 
out into cries of frantic indignation ; from all sides 
rose the cries: ‘‘Long live the Emperor Julian ! — 
Augustus, stand firm at your post ! — Be true to 
the wishes of the provinces and of the army ! — The 
Republic needs you ! — Long live Julian Augustus !” 

As might have been foreseen, Tigranes was 
among the foremost of the imperial suite to cry 
out against the haughty command of the Eastern 
Emperor that Julian should resign his rank and 
his pretensions. Pointing to Julian, he appealed 
indignantly to the people, who reechoed his words 
with furious vehemence. “ This is he,” cried Ti- 
granes, “ who has been chosen by the people, the 


241 


rreparations for War, 

noble Augustus, who takes no step without their 
approval ! The Eastern tyrant seeks to uncrown 
our Sovereign! — Shame I Eternal shame on him 
who would destroy the happiness of the Republic 1” 
When silence had been in some measure 
restored, Julian turned to Leona and said: “ Go to 
your master and tell him what you have seen and 
heard.’' Leona esteemed himself fortunate in 
escaping with a sound body from the furious mul- 
titude, which certainly would not have sent him 
away unhurt had he been left at their mercy. To 
make matters worse for Constantins, the officers 
who had come with Leona were relating to all" 
with whom they conversed how the Emperor at 
Constantinople had received the intelligence of 
Julian’s exaltation with furious rage and terrible 
threats, fiercely driving from his presence those 
who had brought the tidings. Indeed, they as- 
serted, were it not for the Persian war in which he 
was then busily engaged, the only answer of Con- 
stantins would have been to send an army, with 
strict orders to the general to bring back the head 
of his rebellious nephew. These discourses were 
not slow in finding their way to the Court of Julian, 
and it is not difficult to conjecture the effect they 
would produce upon such a man. The military 
preparations already on foot were pushed on with 
redoubled vigor, and by way of keeping his troops 
in practice, the young Csesar managed to engage 
them in occasional skirmishes with the Germans 
on the borders of his provinces. The only obsta- 


Tigranes. 


242 

cle to his purpose of throwing off the mask at once 
and declaring himself openly his uncle’s enemy, 
was the fact that his wife Helena was the sister of 
Constantius. But this difficulty was soon removed 
by the death of Helena, so opportune for the plans 
of Julian, and followed by so little apparent grief 
on his part, that whispered rumors went abroad of 
poison or some other foul play. Of course Ti- 
granes could not share the common suspicion so 
injurious to the honor of his hero, and he strove 
to counteract it by louder eulogies of the loyalty, 
the temperance, the justice, the courage and the 
vigorous energy of the prince ; he said nothing, 
though, about his piety, for he could not reconcile 
in his own mind that ostentatious devotion dis- 
played in the Christian churches with the tone of 
indifference, and even of scorn and contempt, at 
times, with which Julian spoke in private of the 
religion he affected to honor ; and Tigranes was 
naturally too upright and truthful to say wffiat he 
did not believe. He had yet to learn the worst 
traits of Julian’s perfidious character. 

The enthusiasm of Gaul found an echo in Italy, 
and Julian deemed it most advisable to break at 
once the existing peace before the popular favor 
should have time to cool or Constantius be able to 
withdraw his troops from the Persian campaign ; 
but first he must have some sign from the gods. 
Learning from his heathen friends that there was 
near Vienne a shrine sacred to Mithras, hidden 
from the common gaze but well-known to the 


243 


Preparations for War, 

votaries of that divinity, Julian determined to visit 
the temple, and seek a response from the god, to 
whom he had the greatest devotion. The time 
seemed to him, too, most favorable for completing 
there his initiation in the mysteries of Mithras, it 
being the period at which was celebrated the anni- 
versary feast of the Sun. 

The oracle, as was usual in such cases, gave him 
the answers he wished to have, and encouraged 
him according to his desire to be encouraged. 
He no longer hesitated, but marching at once, 
crossed the Alps, then the plains of Illyria, and 
finally reached Constantinople without opposition, 
Valentinian, who accompanied the expedition, one 
day expressing to Tigranes his astonishment at 
this wonderful march to the capital of the Empire 
without a single obstacle, concluded, by way of 
accounting for it: 

“I will tell you, in confidence, what I think 
about it all ; I verily believe that he is helped by 
the devil. How else can we account for the fact 
that all his undertakings succeed ; that he laughs 
at every danger and the danger disappears? When 
Constantins was at Antioch and we here in Gaul, 
Constantins could have sent us all out of existence 
with a single word ; then suddenly, just in time for 
the purposes of our commander. Sapor attacks him 
in the rear and obliges him to turn round and 
leave us in peace. The Prefects of Italy and Illyria 
were able to fight hand to hand with us and dis- 
pute every inch of ground ; they even held the 


244 Tigranes. 

passes of the Rhetian Alps and the crossings of 
the Ister; when lo ! on a sudden they are beating 
a hasty retreat, as if we had the army of Xerxes. 
Italy is ours from the Alps to Lylibseum, not won 
by the sword, but by written books, by popular 
clamors, by treachery — I blush to say it — by the 
treason of soldiers, of the very commanders and 
prefects. Julian is enjoying all the provisions and 
stores collected by Constantins. He has entered 
Illyria in triumph, Pannonia, Dalmatia and Dacia 
seemed to await his coming to hail him with the 
cry : ‘ Long live our Augustus Julian !’ 

“These miracles,” replied Tigranes, “are wrought 
by the glorious renown of Julian and the tyranny 
of Constantins.” 

“ They are wrought, my good friend, by gold 
and by partisan influence,” said Valentinian. “But 
be that as it may,” he continued, “ Constantins is 
not yet dead; he has still legions and generals, 
and money. If he succeeds in throwing off Sapor, 
we shall find ourselves fighting with odds of one 
to ten. Indeed, who knows whether he is not 
even now on the march against us? I heard it 
whispered in the praetorium that all this great 
levying of troops, of stores and arms, is not a 
remote preparation for war, but an immediate 
ordering for battle.” 

“Well, since you seem to know all, I may tell 
you that the last news is very much to that effect. 
It is reported that Sapor has retreated beyond the 
Tigris, and I believe that he expects to find him- 


245 


Prepai^ations for War. 

self engaged in a civil war as soon as he enters 
Mesopotamia. One thing is sure, the army of 
Constantius is returning by forced marches, and” — 

“And Julian more unconcerned than ever, more 
confident, more sanguine than ever !” 

“Fortune favors the bold!” cried Tigranes. 

“Fortune — nonsense I He declares that the 
gods have promised him the victory; he takes care 
to have that report spread among the soldiers, and 
he asserts that the death of Constantius is not far 
off There is something very mysterious about all 
this. And, if you want to know my mind, I will 
tell you, that if I were not bound already, I would 
not for the world take any rank under him now. 
No one can persuade me,” he continued, lowering 
his voice, “that some one has not already been 
paid to give Constantius his quietus with a little — 
well, a little poison” — 

“Oh! oh!” interrupted Tigranes, “ banish such 
groundless suspicion. It is impossible!” 

“Well then, let it be a suspicion.” 

“ Most certainly, a mere suspicion, and nothing 
better. That his promises from the sacred divin- 
ities are mere trash, madness, anything you wish, 
I grant. But poison! No, never! never!” 

“Well, we shall see. But believe rne, when a 
man has once been a Christian, baptized and even 
anointed with the holy chrism, and then goes 
back to paganism, we have everything to fear from 
him. Would that I had known it before entering 
his service.” 


246 


Tigranes. 

“Courage! courage!” cried Tigranes. 
least Julian will not persecute; he will give peace 
to all, even to the Church. Besides, I learned 
from the priests in Rome — and I am a catechumen, 
you know — that it is not our duty to pronounce 
judgment on princes; he is recognized by Gaul, 
and by all the West. This is the Roman law. 
Provided he does not insist upon our doing any- 
thing sinful, let him settle his own conscience with 
God, if he is unfaithful to his duties. And besides, 
we do not know but that he may some day return 
to himself.” 

Vain hope ! 


XVIII. 


FROM BAD TO WORSE. 

OWEVER well or ill-grounded Valentinian’s 
suspicions may have been, they received a 
strong confirmation before Julian had even 
reached the gates of Constantinople. 

Amid the busy preparations for the anticipated 
campaign, and while all were anxiously looking 
forward to its doubtful issue, two lords from 
the court of Constantinople alighted one morning 
before Julian’s quarters in Dacia. Those who 
watched them, read in their countenances the news 


From Bad to Worse. 247 

they brought, the gladdest tidings that Julian 
could have received. Constantins had just died 
at Mopsucrene, a hamlet in Cilicia, and on his 
death-bed had named his nephew sole heir to the 
imperial crown ; the whole of Asia, citizens and 
soldiers, all were devoted to the new Emperor. 
The two envoys had hardly delivered their mes- 
sage, when a numerous body of senators and 
nobles from Constantinople was announced. They 
had come with every demonstration of enthusiastic 
gratulation to swear homage to their new master. 
They were presented to Julian, and addressed him 
thus: “Julian Augustus, the Fathers and the 
peo^fl of New Rome await your coming as that of 
a beneficent divinity ; let us beg that you will 
hasten to bless with your presence the imperial 
city, which glories in having given you birth, and 
will rejoice to welcome you with honors such as 
it never paid to any other.” 

This sudden and fortunate turn in the course of 
events might certainly have been too much for the 
self-control of an ordinary man, but the wary Julian 
was well enough prepared for it to effectually 
conceal the joyful emotion he could not fail to 
experience. He raised his hand for a moment to 
his eyes, as if to hide a tear, and murmured in a 
sorrowful tone, “Hapless Constantins! In the 
flower of his age 1” Then raising his head with 
the look and voice of one who felt that he was 
master of the world, he said to the envoys of Con- 
stantinople: “ Return as my messengers, and bear 


248 Tigi'anes. 

with you my orders. Let all the honors due to 
imperial majesty be paid to the remains of the late 
Emperor, and let them be at once entombed in our 
monument at Constantinople. Tell his widow that 
I shall not remember that her husband died in 
arms against me ; she may rely upon my protec- 
tion. Announce to my fellow-citizens my desire 
and purpose to satisfy, with as little delay as 
possible, their loyal wishes — for the present I need 
a few days to indulge my private grief at this 
domestic affliction, for the sainted Constantins was 
my near relative, my uncle, my benefactor.’* Then 
with a deep sigh he took leave of the depu^ion 
from the capital. He did indeed need a few days 
of privacy to give vent to the overwhelming joy 
which filled his heart, now that he felt himself in 
full possession of the imperial power. He beheld 
under his sceptre the provinces of Asia, of Africa 
and of Egypt; a hundred legions stood ready to 
obey the least sign of his will ; the whole world 
was at his feet. A storm of violent emotions, a 
whirl of fantastic dreams, of wild hopes and shape- 
less projects held riot in his soul. No wonder that 
he was for the moment incapable of action or 
deliberation, that he was overcome by the intoxi- 
cation, the delirium of an overmastering ambition 
suddenly and fully satisfied. 

When these first transports of joy had somewhat 
subsided, Julian began to consider the grave and 
urgent matters of state which had fallen into his 
hands. The first thing to be done was to make a 


From Bad to Worse. 


249 


solemn entry into Constantinople, and by promptly 
taking official possession of his throne and capital, 
to anticipate any attempt upon the imperial sceptre, 
should some ambitious aspirant be emboldened by 
too long an interregnum to hazard one. He was 
received with enthusiasm and with true Eastern 
splendor by the enslaved people of that vast and 
luxurious capital ; the fickle populace is ever ready 
to hail a new master. The soldiers were thinking 
of the usual largesses; the courtiers dreamed of 
promotions and new dignities; the tradesmen were 
calculating the probable increase in trade during 
the consequent festivities; the idlers and sight- 
seers were already enjoying in anticipation the 
games of the circus, while the citizens of the bet- 
ter class hoped that the new ruler would show 
himself less arbitrary and oppressive than his pre- 
decessor. 

The new Emperor was met, some miles from the 
city, by the senate, the chief officers of the Repub- 
lic, and the municipal authorities, with their re- 
spective officers and attendants. The procession 
was stopped at intervals by the deputations from 
the neighboring cities, and the Emperor submitted 
with what grace he might to the repetition of their 
studied harangues. When the imperial cortege 
reached the city the gates were choked with the 
crowds that poured out to greet the youthful 
sovereign, who was rather borne on than accom- 
panied by them through the streets gayly deco- 
rated and spanned by a hundred triumphal arches. 


250. 


Tigrmtes, 


Since the day of its foundation by Constantine, 
the Eastern Capital had not witnessed such a 
splendid pageant. The people were, for the most 
part, sincere; for they had been harassed by the 
exacting and perfidious tyranny of Constantius, 
and now they suddenly found themselves, as they 
thought, restored to peace and safety, with every 
hope of a long enjoyment of their new-found 
blessings. The hated tyrant had disappeared as 
by a sudden turn of good fortune, and his throne 
was now to be held by a promising youth, their 
fellow-citizen, renowned for his incorruptible sense 
of justice and military prowess. He came to them 
with fair promises on his lips, and his words were 
those of a friend of the people rather than of 
a ruler, while the orators and philosophers, the 
party-leaders and the haranguers, with a great 
expenditure of rhetoric, sounded the praises of his 
past achievements, and foretold those which were 
yet to come. Even the Christians, who constituted 
the bulk of the population, though sighing over 
the well-known apostasy of Julian, were fascinated 
and carried away by the prevailing love of novelty, 
and persuaded themselves that they would probably 
find themselves better off under the equitable rule 
of a heathen emperor than under a Christian sov- 
ereign who favored the persecuting spirit of heresy. 
They remembered how many of their churches had 
been ruined or turned to sacrilegious uses, how the 
religious communities had been persecuted and 
their bishops exiled. They had wept with their 


From Bad to Worse ^ 251 

Italian brethren over the widowhood of the 
Roman Church when the Supreme Pontiff had 
been insulted, robbed and banished from his See ; 
when the bishops of Naples, of Vercelli, and of 
Milan had been cruelly persecuted by Constantins, 
who st3ded himself the Protector of the Church! 
But especially they remembered that Constantins 
had signed the decree against the faith of Nicaea, 
a short time before his death, and there were not 
wanting those who proclaimed their conviction 
that by this very act the unhappy monarch had 
signed the decree of his own early doom. 

The ardent enthusiasm of the people and senate 
of Constantinople was ver^^ mirch of the nature of 
a feverish paroxysm. For there are feverish quick- 
enings at times in the movements of great multi- 
tudes, as wild and uncontrollable as the throbbings 
of a diseased pulse. There were, however, some 
more sober temperaments, some men of cooler 
and sounder judgment, whose better knowledge 
of the new ruler enabled them to form a just 
estimate of passing events; these men did not 
look for better things from Julian, and their appre- 
hensions were fully justified by the fanatical zeal 
for paganism which was daily becoming more evi- 
dent in his outward conduct. But amid the popu- 
lar frenzy which reigned for some time after the 
accession of Julian, it would have been worse 
than madness to utter any suspicions against the 
idol of the people; these views were consequently 
not made known outside of a small circle. But 


252 


Tigranes. 

one, a venerable patrician and a fervent Christian, 
was bold enough on one occasion to assure a 
circle of intimate friends that he did not share 
their hopes of Julian, and that they would, before 
long, be cruelly undeceived. “ For what faith,^' 
he asked, '‘can you place in an apostate?” "And 
what faith,” they rejoined, "could we place in a 
heretic?” 

" Believe me,” said the old man, "the new apos- 
tate is worse than the former heretic.” Then rais- 
ing his eyes towards heaven, he continued : 

" Constantius was indeed a cruel persecutor of 
the Church; but in many cases he was rather 
deceived than wilfully wicked. A^ell ! God has 
judged him, and if the baptism received upon his 
death-bed found him truly contrite for his sins, we 
may certainly hope that he has obtained mercy. 
But this new Caesar, a renegade to the faith of his 
baptism! No, no, he cannot but do worse than 
liis uncle!” 

" How, a renegade ?” cried several. 

"Yes, and by means of a truly hellish rite. I 
mean that our new Caesar thinks that he has wiped 
out from his soul the mark of his baptism by that 
pagan ceremony called the Taurobolium.” 

" What kind of a rite or ceremony is that ?” 
asked a pious lady, with a vague feeling of terror 
and abhorrence. 

"It is an execrable rite, like every other act of 
pagan worship,” answered the old patrician with 
indignant warmth, "a sacrilegious rite inspired by 


Fro 7 n Bad to Wo?^se. 253 

the devil out of hatred for the Incarnate Word, out 
of hatred for the Lord, whom Julian and his friends 
contemptuously style the Galilean, just as they 
call us Galileans because we are faithful to Him. 
I know on very good authority, that this new 
Caesar, by way of preparing to ascend the throne, 
went to a place not far from the spot where we 
now are, and there, surrounded by the most noto- 
rious priests of the Grecian rites, both in idolatry 
and the black art, he was washed in the blood of 
a bull sacrificed for their heathen worship, then 
seizing one horn of the severed head of the victim, 
he swore that he, Flavius Claudius Julian Augus- 
tus, there consecrated the strength of the bull, duly 
sacrificed, according to the directions of the mother 
of the gods, which is one of their accursed heathen 
rites.^^ 

“ If what you say be true,” remarked one of the 
company, “ we are certainly going from bad to 
worse.” 

“The whole world will become pagan,” added 
another, “ and what will then become of our fair 
capital — a city born with Christianity and growing 
with its growth ? Constantinople has always been 
eminently a Christian city ; it was never contami- 
nated by the presence of these heathen abomina- 
tions. Our New Rome was never decorated with 
temples and statues of the heatlien gods, or of the 
nymphs, or other minor deities, nor defiled by their 
unholy games. In their stead we have in the 
great square the statues of Constantine and Helena, 


254 Tigranes. 

and between them rises the cross in triumphal 
grandeur, with the inscription which you have all 
read: ‘Jesus Christ. He alone is Holy. He 

ALONE IS THE LORD IN THE GLORY OF THE FATHER.' 
We cannot walk through our streets without meet- 
ing at every step the saving cross as it glitters on 
every spire and monument, or some work of Chris- 
tian art — a good Shepherd, or Daniel in the Lions' 
Den, or the Divine Redeemer, or some Apostle or 
Prophet Nay, the imperial palace even has no 
nobler adornments than such memorials and sym- 
bols of Christian faith! You have often remarked 
the splendid representation in relief, over the main 
entrance, of the great Constantin^ trampling under 
foot a huge dragon, emblematic of the monster of 
idolatry which he had crushed. No, our city is 
too thoroughly Christian ever to be paganized. 
Even if Julian were wicked enough to wish to in- 
augurate such a change, he is too politic not to see 
that it would be fatal to him to attempt it." “ My 
friend," said the first speaker sorrowfully, “you 
say truly that our New Rome was born with Chris- 
tianity and has grown up with it, and that there is 
no pagan monument within its walls. But it is not 
impossible that God may yet punish this city for 
the favor shown in it to Arius, that blasphemer of 
Christ’s divinity, by allowing it to be defiled with 
the filthy abominations of idolatry. I pray God 
that I may prove a false prophet, but it seems clear 
to me that the exaltation of our new Caesar is but 
the preparation of the scourge which shall avenge 


From Bad to Worse. 


255 


the insults offered in this city to the divine Word 
Incarnate. We shall yet see torrents of Christian 
blood flowing around us; but the blood of these 
victims will appease the just wrath of God, and 
though I should not live to witness this event, for 
I am already on the brink of the grave, you who 
are younger will, I trust, see this new tyrant dis- 
appear in the triumph of the Divine Word?” 

The old man was but too good a prophet. 
Julian was Emperor, and no one even dreamed of 
disputing his right to the purple, partly the prize 
of his own boldness, partly bequeathed by the 
policy of a dying relative. The new Caesar thought 
that his hold up(an the Roman sceptre would be 
strengthened by a show of forgiveness and respect 
towards his predecessor, and with this purpose in 
view he ordered preparations to be made on the 
most magnificent scale for the reception of the 
imperial remains which were then on their way 
from Asia. Already had the deceased Sovereign 
received multiplied tokens of his people’s generous 
forgiveness ; during the whole course of the fune- 
ral march to the capital, the people flocked toge- 
ther to pay their homage to the august dead; at 
every stage of the journey the bishops and clergy 
came together to perform anew the funeral rites 
and to celebrate the usual expiatory sacrifice ; at 
night they watched with the faithful around the 
catafalque amid the light of a thousand perfumed 
tapers and the sound of solemn chants, and on the 
morrow accompanied the funeral procession on its 


256 Tigranes. 

departure with fervent prayers and every mark of 
respectful sympathy.* 

The funeral galley at length appeared in sight 
of Constantinople. To Jovian — the faithful friend 
of Tigranes — by virtue of his office of tribune in 
the imperial body-guard, had been assigned the 
honorable duty of escorting the Emperor’s remains 
from Antioch to the Eastern Capital. The tribune 
ordered the coffin to be set on shore immediately, 
and it was borne through a silent and respectful 
throng of citizens, between the files of the praeto- 
rian guards to the royal palace. The bier was 
carried by several Asiatic prelates and surrounded 
by many of the clergy bearing lighted tapers ; the 
imperial officers and the members of the court fol- 
lowed ; the air was filled with the solemen chant 
of psalms and the fragrance of the perfumed tapers, 
and many, whether through passing emotion or 
sincere grief, honored the funeral pageant with 
their tears. / 

Julian had not counted upon such a display of 
sympathy for the late Emperor from those who 
but yesterday had hailed his own accession with 
frantic enthusiasm. He deemed it best, however, 
to hide his bitter disappointment, and came to 
meet the remains of his predecessor with his accus- 
tomed suite. Standing by the side of the bier, in 
the presence of all the people, he removed the 
crown from his head in token of mourning, and 


* S. Greg. Nazianz II. Or. cont. Julian. 


Frofu Bad to Worse, 


257 


extended his right hand over the illustrious dead, 
to signify that he forgave whatever real or fancied 
'wrongs he might have suffered from him. Then 
taking his place as chief mourner, he followed the 
funeral procession with uncovered head. 

The great hall of the imperial palace had been 
prepared for the reception of the body. Here it 
was deposited upon a catafalcjue, richly decked 
with plates of gold and purple hangings, sur- 
rounded by torch holders and candelabra of mas- 
sive gold, which held great tapers perfumed with 
the most fragrant spices ; and that none of the 
marks of homage which had been paid to Con- 
stantine should be wanting to Constantins, the 
Prefects, the men of consular rank, the Sena- 
tors, the civil magistrates, the Chamberlains and 
other officers of the imperial household passed 
in order before the lifeless form of their late 
master, knelt at bis feet and kissed the hem of the 
imperial mantle. From time to time the officers 
of the palace drew near to the body and stood 
for a moment, as if awaiting the master’s orders. 
On the following day the last solemn rites were 
celebrated in the Basilica of the Apostles. Julian 
did not feel that he could enter the sacred pre- 
cincts after the idolatrous practices in which he 
had so lately taken adeading part; he accordingly 
stood in the vestibule with some of his immediate 
officers until the body of his uncle had been 
deposited in the tomb of Constantine, near to the 
main entrance of the church. But he went back 


258 Tigranes. 

with a bitter heart; the popular favor so unex- 
pectedly awakened at the sight of the deceased 
Emperor, and still more the majestic grandeur and 
beauty of the worship from which he had, by his 
own act, cut himself off, harassed his guilty soul 
beyond expression. As he looked upon the sol- 
emn scene, he saw the thousand lights which 
blazed upon the altar and around the catafalque; 
their fragrance was wafted to him from the sanctu- 
ary; he heard the sweet, sad harmony of the 
sacred chant; and the procession passed before 
him with its long line of glittering tapers, the 
levites with their pure white surplices, the bishops 
and ministers of the altar richly robed for the 
expiatory sacrifice — and his whole soul was filled 
with bitter hate; he writhed like an energumen 
under the torture to which he was condemned by 
his owm hypocrisy. He hurried away, as soon he 
could, to the palace, and there gave vent to his 
rage in scoffs and curses against that ‘‘vile brood 
of Galileans,” swearing that he had never meant 
to grant such undeserved honors to Constantius, 
except in the name and in honor of the gods. 

Now that he felt himself firmly seated upon the 
throne, the new Augustus began to take measures 
for carrying out his ideas of reform. He had 
adopted as a fundamental rule of action the princi- 
ple that every act of his administration must be 
the very reverse of what had been done by his 
predecessor. Such a course he thought best cal- 
culated to win the favor of the masses, who seemed 


From Bad to IForse, 


259 


to look upon novelty as the chief characteristic of 
advance and improvement. Accordingly he began 
to cry out against “old abuses”; he spread abroad 
the report that the taxes were soon to be reduced, 
the administration of justice purified, the laws 
improved — in a word, that the Augustan age was 
dawning anew upon the Roman Empire. The time 
which was not taken up by audiences he devoted 
to forming judiciary commissions to revise the laws, 
and examining in person the accounts of the 
officers of the preceding administration ; at the 
same time he was equally busy about the changes 
to be made in his own household — new prefects 
were appointed for the praetorium and new minis- 
ters for the sacred rites, consuls were nominated 
for the comitia on the kalends of January, new 
statutes were drawn up, and the imperial secreta- 
taries were kept busy writing letters to the cities 
of the Empire and to the old friends of the Empe- 
ror. There were few men of any consideration in 
the Roman Empire who were not honored with 
one or more letters from Julian. He set about 
forming a court of learned men, by which he 
meant heretical or heathen philosophers. But his 
great ambition was to be considered a deep and 
assiduous scholar; and accordingly the calls made 
upon him by those who came on urgent business 
were often met by the officer on duty with the 
answer: “The Emperor cannot be seen now.” 
“Why?” “He has shut himself up in his study 
and left strict orders that nothing should be al- 


26 o 


Tigranes. 


lowed to disturb him." And then came forth from 
his imperial pen dissertations on philosophy and 
rhetoric, orations, treatises on pagan ascetics, com- 
positions in prose and verse — in a word, produc- 
tions in every department of literature, which were 
all either recited by himself in the Senate, or sent 
to scholars of renown and to the magistrates of 
favored cities. 

Meanwhile he was not forgetful of the leading 
purpose he had always cherished in regard to the 
religious reformation of the Empire ; had he been 
forgetful, his memory was always refreshed on this 
point by the demons to whom he had given 
himself in his initiation in the mysteries of Eleusis 
and Mithras, and in the rite of the Taurobolium; 
hence he was always well up in the knowledge of 
all the feasts of the various divinities, as became a 
pious and learned pontiff; he knew the lucky and 
unlucky days, the dies intercisi or half-holidays, 
and the particular rites, ceremonies and victims 
by which each individual divinity chose to be 
honored — things which even his heathen courtiers 
had almost forgotten from long disuse. Julian 
was in fact a living calendar in the palace, as well 
as the panegyrist, by excellence, of the heathen 
gods. By way of consoling himself for the hateful 
presence of Christian emblems which met his eye, 
turn where he would, in every part of the palace, 
he consecrated his own private apartments with 
due ceremonial to the Sun, and as he purposed to 
lay the foundation of his ideal pagan capital in the 


From Bad to Worse. 


261 


Christian capital of the Empire, he gave orders for 
the erection of a heathen shrine in the imperial 
gardens. There were fountains, grottoes and niches 
dedicated to the nymphs, and pleasure-gardens 
consecrated to the Huntress Diana; statues and 
sacrificial altars were placed at every turn. But 
Constantinople could furnish no priests for the 
sacrifices; at his call, Greece and Asia sent him a 
legion of them. They came by land and by sea, 
chariot-loads and boat-loads of priests, haruspices, 
sacrificial ministers, diviners ; priestesses were even 
more abundant, for besides the flood which poured in 
from distant quarters, many had remained secretly 
about the city in the hope of these better days. 
Unfortunately, however, the new priests, when at 
work, did not always succeed very well in the 
ceremonial, which was of course most painful to 
the deep religious feeling of the Emperor. In 
such cases, unable to restrain his pious ardor, he 
would rush forward and undertake to remedy the 
evil in person. Often was the august worshipper 
seen carrying with his own imperial hands the 
fagots to the different altars, and the coal-pans for 
the fumigations, or stooping on all fours to blow 
up the sacred fire. His attendants were thrown 
into the utmost shame and confusion on seeing 
their imperial master, in his devout zeal, so far 
forgetting his dignity; but he persisted in main- 
taining his undignified position, in making bellows 
of his cheeks and puffing into the coals. In hand- 
ling the knife he plumed himself upon excelling 


262 


Tigranes. 


the most skilful sacrificer, and in examining the 
entrails of the victims and drawing auguries from 
them, he was prepared to teach the most expe- 
rienced of the professional haruspices. And so all 
the philosophers of his court shook their heads 
significantly, and swore that he was undoubtedly 
the greatest Emperor ever known in the Roman 
annals, and the most proper Pontiff that ever 
presided over the interests of religion. 

Our poor Tigranes meanwhile was groaning 
under the weight of the multiplied duties which 
fell to his lot as a confidential friend of his gracious 
sovereign, and had it not been for the little douceur 
held out to him in the prospective presidency of 
Carrhae, he would doubtless have complained aloud 
or resigned, for in his heart he considered all these 
heathenish observances as stupid folly or some- 
thing worse. One day, when his master had gone 
forth into the country with a numerous train of 
priests and priestesses — Julian had a fondness for 
uniting in the bonds of piety the two halves of the 
human race — to spend the day in some solemn 
rites which could not be confined within walls, 
Tigranes went to unbosona himself to his friend 
Jovian ; Valentinian was unfortunately hindered 
from joining his friends, his office in the imperial 
body-guard requiring his presence with the Empe- 
ror. The two friends indulged themselves in a 
long and familiar conversation on the state of 
affairs, Jovian striving to persuade his friend that 
things were sure to go from bad to worse. “ This 


From Bad to Worse. 


263 


wonderful remodelling of the magistracy and this 
universal reform,” said the tribune, “mean nothing 
more nor less than the substitution of heathens in 
the place of Christians, of base and subservient 
tools instead of incorruptible public servants; it 
will result in bringing to the surface the worst 
elements in the Republic and banishing or putting 
to death the purest Christians and the most faith- 
ful ministers.” In the midst of their conversation 
Jovian suddenly paused and drew the attention of 
Tigranes to a distant sound, as of an approaching 
multitude. “ The Emperor must be returning 
early from his sacrifices,” he said as he rose and 
went to the window. “ See !” he exclaimed, call- 
ing his friend to him, “see for yourself, and judge 
what these reforms mean.” Julian was indeed 
returning from the solemn worship of the mother 
of the gods. These rites had become things of 
daily occurrence, but the ceremony of that day 
had been one of unusual pomp; no vulgar offering 
of huge bulls or bearded goats, butchered by the 
hands of a common priest, but of a number of rare 
birds obtained at a fabulous cost from the centre 
of Asia, and offered to the great goddess by the 
hands of the holy Pontiff, as Julian modestly styled 
himself, with the most solemn ceremonial known 
to the ritual of idolatry. He' was now entering 
the city on foot. Instead of the imperial mantle 
he wore a simple linen tunic, the usual dress of 
the priests, and a wreath of flowers entwined his 
august brow. -The imperial guard followed at a 


264 Tigranes. 

respectful distance; in their midst walked the chief 
groom of the imperial stables, leading the Empe- 
ror’s horse. Immediately surrounding the Empe- 
ror was a throng of priests, of assistant ministers, 
haruspices, soothsayers, magicians and philoso- 
phers, all habited in the garb of their respective 
orders. Behind these followed a host of priest- 
esses, a true saturnalian escort ; some of them 
were dressed as bacchantes, some as sibyls, others 
as nymphs, all scandalously indecent, making a 
very orgy of this religious procession. 

The noise made by this disgraceful crew was 
such that people ran to see what was the matter, 
and all were struck dumb at the shocking scene. 

‘‘ It was not an improvement,” cried some, as 
soon as they could recover themselves a little, to 
dismiss so many old servants from the palace in 
order to fill it with these incarnate demons !” We 
have been saved from the hands of a heretic only 
to fall into those of an idolater,” cried others, “ a 
poor exchange !” The older citizens turned away 
sadly and said with a sigh : It is the first time, 
since the days of Constantine, of blessed memory, 
that our eyes have seen such scandalous abomina- 
tions.” The little children, who saw only the fan- 
tastic features of the pageant, innocently called 
upon their parents to know who those persons 
were that were dancing through the streets half- 
clothed, and when a mother sought to quiet them 
by answering in a general way, that they were the 
members of the court, the wives of the ministers 


From Dad to Worse. 


265 


of state and — “Hush!” interrupted the more wary 
husband, “ be careful. We are fallen upon days 
when it is necessary to see and be silent 1” 

The praetorian guards, who brought up the rear 
of the procession, walked mechanically on, bereft 
of all their wonted military pride ; they were evi- 
dently covered with confusion at the thought of 
acting as an escort to the rabble of wanton women 
thus making a public display of their shameless 
dissoluteness. Their arms seemed to weigh upon 
their hands ; they were ashamed to look up from 
the ground, and hardly kept time to the music to 
which they marched. Their noble tribune, Valen- 
tinian, had not the heart to raise his eyes as he 
passed the window from which he knew that his 
two friends were looking down upon him — he 
appeared like a man who was going to the pillory. 

“Indeed, this is more than I expected,” said 
Tigranes sadly, as he closed the window and 
turned away from the revolting spectacle. 

Note. — The details of this scene are taken from contempora- 
neous writers. Let it suffice to mention St. John Chrysostom, 
oral. Sti. Bahilce cont. Julian et Gent. opp. t. III. pp. 534, 535, 
and Theodoret, Hist. Eccles.^ III., 3 opp. t. III., p. 1092. 


XIX. 


VAIN ATTEMPTS AT PERVERSION. 


prfeVERY man who has ever rebelled ai^ainst 


God and His divine Son, Jesus, has often 
felt keenly the reproach to his apostasy 
expressed by the Christian life of the faith- 
ful around him — a reproach more pointed even 
than one conveyed by words. Holiness of life, 
meekness of disposition, and contempt for the 
pleasures and vanities of the world, always , seem 
to be meant as a direct and stinging rebuke to him 
who has denied the faith. Accordingly, it has 
always been a capital point with apostates to win 
over as many of the faithful as possible, especially 
such as happen to wield a greater influence on the 
side of the truth by their reputation for learning, 
by their high social standing, or by other personal 
qualities. We are not surprised, therefore, to learn 
that an apostate of the stamp of Julian used all the 
artifices at his command to seduce the most illus- 
trious Christians of his time. Among those upon 
whom he tried the effects of his flattering atten- 
tions and deceitful promises, was Caesarius,* the 
court physician, who had accompanied Jovian in 


266 


* Saint CaBsarius, the physician. 




V 


Vain Attempts at Perversion. 267 

the imperial escort which brought the remains of 
Constantius to the Eastern Capital. Caesarius, who 
was equally renowned for virtue and learning, was 
the son of the holy matron, Nonna. He was the 
brother of St. Gregory of Nazianzum, the friend of 
St. Basil, and had finished his studies in the famous 
schools of Alexandria. He had acquired no mean 
preeminence in philosophy, geometry and astron- 
omy, but his favorite study, and that with which 
his name has ever been so honorably connected, 
was the science of medicine. The echo of his 
praises had been heard far beyond the bounds of 
Egypt, and the Conscript Fathers of Constanti- 
nople paid him the singular honor of sending 
him a diploma, of citizenship, with the privilege of. 
a seat in their Senate. But even this did not 
satisfy their sense of his deserts ; they sent an 
embassy to Constantius, praying, as a glory and 
an honor to themselves, that he would number 
Csesarius among the other ornaments of his Court. 
The request was granted immediately, and in a 
very short time Caesarius had become the chief 
physician and the favorite officer of the Emperor. 

It seemed as if God had delighted to pour out 
His gifts with lavish abundance upon this child 
of saints. Tall, graceful, and dignified in person, 
with a steady, piercing, but kindly glance, winning 
manners, and features set in the type of manly 
beauty — all conspired to make a noble dwelling 
for a soul more noble still. Tlor was he a spoiled 
child of fortune; for amid her smiles and caresses 


2 68 


Tigra7ies. 


he never showed the least sign of pride, ambition 
or avarice. The nobles of the court, who always 
called upon him in their infirmities, could bestow* 
upon him no other reward than their genuine 
admiration, for he would receive no compensation 
for his services beyond the ordinary pension 
attached to his position at the court. To the 
poor he freely gave the benefit of his knowledge 
and personal attention, and never left them with- 
out some alms and words of holy counsel kindly 
spoken. 

No wonder, then, that he was known as the 
great-hearted” and the “ charitable.” With such 
noble dignity, too, did he ever defend the integ- 
rity, and practise the teachings of Catholic faith, 
that of all the courtiers — some orthodox, some 
heretical, others wavering between the service of 
God and of mammon — not one dared advise him 
to sacrifice principle to the imperial will; the 
Emperor himself had not the boldness to tempt 
him. The wealthiest and the noblest houses 
sought alliances with him; and he met all such 
advances with a firm, though courteous refusal, 
for he had determined not to distract his mind 
with the care of family concerns, nor to diminish 
the precious hours of study and holy contempla- 
tion. Such was the friend whom God had 
designed to give, or rather to lend for a time, to 
Tigranes, to the gre^t profit of his soul. 

Julian recalled him to Constantinople, confirmed 
him in all his offices and honors, and loaded him 


Vain Attempts at Perversion. 269 

with favors, flattering himself that he could even- 
tually win him over to his own black and unprin- 
cipled designs. Csesarius would not accept the 
apartments prepared for him in the palace, per- 
haps because he knew too well the impious spirit 
that ruled within its walls. Yet the honorable 
and conscientious discharge of his official duties 
obliged him to spend there his days at least, and 
no one ever ventured to utter an unchristian word 
in his presence ; the great favor of the Emperor 
was a shield which protected him from the 
attempts of even the pagans. His daily presence 
at the court naturally brought him before long 
into contact with Tigranes, and as truly lofty 
souls shed around them an atmosphere of noble 
affection, and naturally blend by an innate sym- 
pathy with others like themselves, it was not long 
before they were bound together by the ties of 
true friendship. Besides the mutual esteem which 
had sprung from their daily intercourse, there was 
another bond of affection between them in a com- 
mon attachment to another great soul. Tigranes 
had learned that Caesarius was from the neighbor- 
hood of Nazianzum, and his first question on their 
meeting was : “ Do you happen to be acquainted 
with a certain Gregory, who studied some years 
ago at Athens?” 

“Slightly,” replied Caesarius, smiling. He is 
my own brother.” , 

“ Give me your hand,” said Tigranes, joyfully, 
“we are not only friends, but brothers.” And he 


270 


Tioranes. 

<3 

went on to tell Csesarius how they had studied 
together at Athens, and how a most familiar 
f iendship had bound them together during that 
period of their lives. 

‘‘ And what is our dear Gregory doing now ?*' he 
inquired in . conclusion. 

“ I could only make him a flying visit when I 
was last in Caesarea with poor Constantins. It was 
as much as I could do to spend a couple of days 
with him where he lives in retirement with a friend 
of his, called Basil. A closer friendship I never 
saw; they are like one soul in two bodies. But 
you must have known our friend Basil, for he and 
my brother were together at Athens. By-the-by, 
speaking of Basil, I have a letter here from him, 
which you would perhaps like to hear.** 

“ Certainly I should.’* 

Caesarius opened the letter and read: Basil to 
his friend Caesarius, greeting. Your brother Greg- 
ory is here with us, and delights us all by his holy 
conversation. He and your respected father are 
not without anxiety about your connection with 
the imperial court; we share their solicitude, for 
you know that your family and ours are one in 
heart. But enough of this for the present; we 
trust you, and hope for the best. Should you 
happen to meet there a youth named Tigranes, 
who, according to letters lately received here, must 
be with the court of Julian, deal with him as a 
friend, because he is an intimate friend of mine as 
well as of your holy brother, Gregory. We were 


271 


l^ain Atlanpts at Perversion, 

all three fellow-students at Athens, whilst you were 
reading Hippocrates at Alexandria. My dear Cao- 
sarius, it is my hope and daily prayer that we may 
soon meet again, either here or in Caesarea. Would 
that it could be to-morrow ! Farewell.’* 

“It seems," observed Tigfanes, as Caesarius 
folded the letter, “ that Basil and your brother 
Gregory are in great terror lest the court should 
turn your head. I cannot see what cause they 
have to fear, for although Julian has given him- 
self up to the abominations of idolatry, yet he 
leaves every one else free to adopt what belief he 
pleases.** 

“ Do not believe it so easily,** said Caesarius. 
“Though I am fixed in my resolve to hold my 
ground, the fears of our friend Basil and of my 
family are not wholly groundless.** 

“How is it then,** asked Tigranes, “that your 
brother does not write to you ?’’ 

“Does not write to me! Feel this other letter; 
is it not heavy enough ? But let me read it to 
you, it will perhaps do you no harm.’* And with 
these words he unfolded the letter and began to 
read : 

“ Gregory to Caesarius :• — My brother, we have 
felt no little shame at your conduct of late" — 

“ A fair beginning, certainly,*’ interrupted Ti- 
granes. 

Caesarius continued with a grave smile: “Though 
it is a relief to be able to speak of it to yourself, 
since you can appreciate it better than any one else. 


272 


Tig7^anes. 

To say nothing of ourselves nor of the sadness and 
apprehension which have come upon us since we 
have heard the reports which reach us concerning 
yourself, I could wish that you were with us to hear 
what is said about you and about us, not only by 
the members of the family, but by our friends — of 
course I mean the Christians. Mark, that I do not 
say what this one or that one mentioned, but what 
all say with one voice ; for you know that those 
who are not of the household of the faith are much 
more given to idle talk about the deeds of absent 
ones than those who are of us. We have heard it 
repeated again and again: ‘A fine thing, truly, that 
the near relative of a bishop should take an office 
at the court! This is no time to be looking for a 
share in the power and the honors of the gentiles 
and to hanker after their wealth, . whilst our Father’s 
house is in flames, and every one one of us is 
running the risk of forfeiting his eternal salvation. 
How can Csesarius have failed to see that there is 
now left to us no other glory, no safety, no gain, 
but a generous resistance to the wickedness of the 
times and an uncompromising opposition to the 
corruptions and abominations’ — ” 

‘Wour brother is certainly taking an exagge- 
rated view of the state of things here,” again 
interrupted Tigranes. 

'‘Hear him through, and judge afterwards. 
‘With what face can the bishop now warn others 
not to let themselves be carried away by the cur- 
rent, not to pollute themselves by having any part 


Vain Attempts at Pe 7 'ver$ion. 273 

with the worshippers of idols ? How can he ven- 
ture to reprove others for their falls, when- some of 
his own family are not clean ? These are the 
words we hear every day from many lips. Some 
no doubt speak from pure friendship, others per- 
haps from less pure motives. I leave you to judge 
what must be our feelings, since we have pro- 
nounced our firm determination to serve God 
faithfully, and to place all our ambition in the hope 
of a happy eternity. Our poor father is weighed 
down with years and with sorrow ; I strive to 
soothe his grief by telling him that your dutiful 
affection will prompt you to remove at once the 
cause of our distress. Should our revered mother 
happen to hear the least whisper of these tidings 
which have come to us about your present con- 
dition — we have so far succeeded in keeping her 
in profound ignorance on the subject — I am sure 
that she would not enjoy another hour of peace. 
You know that she is a woman, and therefore is 
easily overcome by grief ; besides, her saintly piety 
would make such a blow doubly fatal. 

“‘Now if you have any regard for yourself and 
for us, take measures to change this state of things. 
It seems to me that you should be able to content 
yourself with our means and manner of life here; 
they are certainly sufficient for one who is satisfied 
to lead an honorable life without the greed of 
wealth and worldly honors. And if you are ever 
to change your manner of life. I can see no better 
time than the present for doing so. But if, on the 


2 74 Tigranes. 

contrary, in spite of our entreaties, you choose 
to stay where you are in order to satisfy your 
ambition, I must declare to you that I wash my 
hands of all blame for the consequences. Mean- 
while I warn you that one of two things will 
inevitably befall you where you are, — either you 
will continue to be a faithful Christian, and then 
your master will keep you in an inferior position, 
unworthy of yourself and of your hopes; or he will 
make much of ypu and raise you to higher honors, 
which cannot be without some loss to your highest 
interests; and so you will not come forth without 
the smell of the smoke on your garments, even if 
you escape the scorching of the flames.’ ” 

“ Gregory is greatly deceived,” said Tigranes, as 
Caesarius finished; “Julian is not a man to wrong 
a friend and most faithful servant. There has been 
a great deal said about his giving good positions 
to his old friends and confidants, because they are 
all hellenists; this is a pure exaggeration. Are not 
you and I, and a number of the chief officers of 
the army all Christians? Has he not also called 
several bishops and priests, and given them 
becoming positions in the court?” 

“As for the Christians in the court,” replied 
Caesarius, “it may pass; but the bishops! the less 
w^e say of them the better. You know as well as I 
do, that he has chosen them from among the worst 
of their class ; he has been careful to pick out 
those who were suspended or excommunicated. 
Aetius is an atheist, and a man of blood; the rest 


275 


Vain Attempts at Perversion. 

are Donatists, Novatians, and the like. Good men 
and respectable clerics have nothing to do in this 
court/’ 

No, no. A little moderation, my dear Csesa- 
rius. What if I should tell you — though I know 
that you will hardly believe me — that our friend 
Basil, nay, even your venerated brother, Gregory, 
received invitations from Augustus? And what 
answer did they make? They insulted him openly. 
I assure you that I myself was somewhat shocked 
at their expressions.” 

** What! Julian invited Basil and Gregory to his 
court ?” 

It is a fact. It caused a good deal of talk 
among the intimates of the Emperor. I am not 
telling you an idle story; I saw the letters with 
my own eyes.* It is well for them that Julian is 
not the man-eating monster he is represented to 
be by certain dissatisfied and wordy persons, or 
he might have given them occasion to eat their 
words at some expense to themselves. Besides, 
Julian is Emperor, and certainly has a right to 
some respect.” 

“ Indeed, you are telling me news. I knew 
nothing of all this.” 

“Yes, and moreover, it is not a thing of yester- 
day. These letters were sent when we first came 

* These letters are extant, and may be found in the editions 
already quoted in this work, of the works of Julian and of St, 
Basil, and in the life of St. Gregory Nazianzen, with critical notes 
by learned commentators. 


276 Tigranes. 

to Constantinople, and when half of the philoso- 
phers and scholars in the world received some 
communication from the Emperor.’* 

“ I am glad to know it, and I shall mention it in 
my answer to my brother’s letter.” 

“But be discreet. Now let Valentinian and 
Jovian come with their eternal growling; certainly 
there is some reason in what they say, but they 
have no moderation.” 

Each of the two friends felt satisfied that he had 
given some useful hints to the other in this familiar 
conversation. Caesarius, who was a few years 
older than Tigranes, felt some compassion for the 
youthful simplicity of his friend, and hoped that 
the severe expressions in Gregory’s letter would 
serve as a warning against the wiles of Augustus. 
As for himself, he felt strong in the resolution to 
throw aside honors, wealth, position and all, rather 
than yield an inch in maintaining the principles 
of his faith. He had determined to write at once 
to his brother, and was making preparations to do 
so in the study of his friend, when their attention 
was called to a noise in the adjoining hall. Julian 
was returning from a review of his legions, and 
had bestowed the wonted largess on the troops. 
The two friends rose and went out to meet the 
Emperor. 


XX. 


IMPERIAL STRATEGY. 


'HROUGHOUT the whole Empire/’ said 
Julian one day to a party of intimate friends, 
‘'the sacred shrines are being restored, 
the groves are rising again, incense and 
victims are growing scarce in some provinces. 
But all this amounts to nothing; so long as I have 
not succeeded in uncrowning the Galilean, my 
own^diadem weighs heavy on my brow. That is 
my desire, my life’s task, my glory — to crush him 
down in the mire.” 

"And why not in blood?” suggested Maximus, 
a magician. "You have a hundred legions; give 
the word and you will purge the land.” 

" It would be best so, but it is not possible.” 

"At least you might despatch the priests or the 
bishops.” 

"No, it would not do,” said Julian with a sigh. 
" What did so much slaughter profit Diocletian 
and Decius ?” For one enemy of the gods des- 
troyed, a hundred more fanatical sprung up at 
once, like worms in a dead body.'” 

" But yet,” persisted the magician, " even iron is 
brought under by fire.” 

277 


278 


Tigranes. 

*^Yes,’^ replied Julian, ^^but souls do not undergo 
the same kind of change. I am not satisfied to 
have the gods honored with a few grains of incense 
from the hand ; I wish to see the Galilean hated, I 
must do this work thoroughly.'’ 

Augustus,” said an Alexandrian priest, the way 
to do this work thoroughly, is to root out clergy, 
monks and canons; I can swear to you from my 
own observation, that they are the plague of 
Egypt. Their very glance poisons the air, their 
words are death to the worship of Horus, Isis and 
the great Serapis.” 

“I shall attend to it in time. We must be 
cautious; should I shed a drop of blood of some 
cleric or of some pious lady now, I should at once 
be called a tyrant. The people are not yet ‘ripe 
for my purposes.” 

I read the thoughts of Augustus,” observed a 
pompous looking individual with a look of great 
sagacity. ‘‘ He will first make sure of all the army 
like the deified Maximian” — 

‘‘Ah ! Maximian, Maximian, god-like emperor. 
Had you but been a little less hasty and more cau- 
tious,” cried Julian. Then suddenly relapsing into 
silence, he seemed to be buried in deep thought. 

The astute Oribasius had listened to the whole 
conversation without uttering a word, but when 
. the Emperor, awaking from his meditation, turned 
an inquiring look upon his trusted friend and 
favorite courtier, the latter spoke at last : 

“ The most moderate course,” said he, “ will be 


Imperial Strategy, 279 

the most successful. Good laws and faithful exe- 
cutors. We must fetter the Christian priests, 
save the youth of the Empire from their wiles, 
silence their teachers, impoverish and gradually 
destroy them; all such ofSces must be given to 
men of sounder views, with positive instructions 
to break down the boldness of these Galileans. 
They will not be able to resist this slow but pow- 
erful process. Ply the knife steadily about the 
tree; to-day a twig will fall, to-morrow a branch, 
^ithe next day a root will yield, then the bark, and 
finally the trunk must die, and thus, Augustus, 
before your locks are even streaked with age, you 
will have restored our worship in all the empire.” 

“Well said, Oribasius !” cried Julian, approv- 
ingly. “You have caught my own idea, but the 
gods have given me another inspiration too.” 

“ Let us hear it !” cried all with one voice. 

Julian, with an expression of fiendish delight, 
and complacently stroking his beard, explained his 
purpose: 

“All that you have just suggested I had already 
purposed to do, and much more besides. The 
blood of the Galileans would be an unspeakably 
delicious treat to the heavenly deities and to me. 
I have already made an offering of it to them; but 
it can be only when those miscreants shall be few 
and scattered; and this must be our care for the 
present. Meanwhile, the first step towards social 
regeneration will be to find some captivating name 
which will take hold of the multitude.” 


Tigranes. 


280 

''What shall it be?” asked Oribasius. 

"Freedom of religious worship,” replied Julian, 
with the look and tone of a man who is sure that 
his enemy cannot escape him. 

From the spirit of the preceding conversation 
it is not hard to conjecture what manner of free- 
dom was meant, and time only served to show 
more clearly the hypocritical and treacherous char- 
acter of the man. He made a great parade of the 
favors which he was so ready to bestow upon the 
Christians, — or, as he always styled them, the Galy^ 
leans, — which favors consisted in conferring offices 
at court or other gifts upon Arian bishops, who 
were at that time very numerous in the East. 
Under color of not wishing to trammel the action 
of the courts of justice, he approved the barba- 
rous severity with which the judges, appointed 
by himself, vented their hatred on the faithful 
servants of Christ. Among these victims was the 
martyr, St. Elpidius. When the announcement 
of his death was brought to Julian, " very good,” 
said the Emperor. "You condemned him to be 
tied to the tails of horses and dragged to death. 
He has had a good ride of it. Well, it was his 
own doing, and no fault of mine; I offered him 
honors and offices if he would but declare openly 
for me. He refused, and the courts have con- 
demned him, and he deserved it.” 

"You are too merciful, Caesar,” said a heathen 
priest who w^as standing by. " They do but abuse 
your clemency.” 


28 i 


Imperial Strategy. 

Let them abuse it,” replied Julian, with feigned 
compassion. “ At least it shall not be said that 
wisdojn has been wrought into my subjects by 
means of torments.” 

“ Divine clemency !” cried the hypocritical priest. 

“I am never weary of repeating, ‘Freedom of 
religious worship! Let the Hellenists, let the 
Galileans enjoy full liberty.’ There is Acebolus, 
who acknowledged to me yesterday that he was 
now wholly converted from his former folly. Let 
him say whether I ever used the slightest threat 
towards him. No, it is not my nature. Good 
reasons, instructions, exhortations — those are my 
only inducements.” 

“Long live your philosophy I” cried a number 
of sophists, who always formed a part of the Em- 
peror’s train. 

“My only trouble now,” continued the Empe- 
ror, “is that some few tribunes still persist in 
always opposing me in everything; and they too 
remain as witnesses of my tolerant spirit, for I 
shall banish only a couple of them, merely by way 
of example for the sake of discipline. By Jove ! 
they might as well pull my hair or tweak my nose 
as thus insult me in public.” 

The tribunes in question were the two brothers, 
Valens and Valentinian, and Jovian. When Ti- 
granes heard that there was some difficulty between 
Julian and these tribunes, he hastened to Oribasius 
for information, and learned that Jovian, when 
called upon by Julian to offer pagan honors to 


282 


Tigranes. 

the Genius of the city, had replied by unclasping 
his military belt and resigning it, with his other 
honors, into the hands of the Emperor, who re- 
fused to receive his resignation. 

Among other strategems used by Julian to catch 
the simple and unwary, was the cunning arrange- 
ment of circumstances which often brought his 
intended victims safely into his snares. Some- 
times he wrought upon their self-love, sometimes 
upon their thoughtlessness to entrap them into 
some outward act of conformity with his idolatrous 
practices. For instance, knowing that the Chris- 
tians considered it a profession of belief in the 
heathen gods to eat meats offered up to those 
divinities, he one day ordered that everything dis- 
played for sale in the market, fruits, herbs, vegeta- 
bles, bread, fish and flesh meat, should be conse- 
crated to the presiding deity of the market-place. 
This proceeding, however, proved more hurtful to 
himself than to those against whom it was directed ; 
for the people, who were by no means disposed to 
starve, and even less to commit what they con- 
sidered an act of apostasy, threatened to rise in 
rebellion, and so menacing was their attitude that 
the Emperor was forced to revoke his ill-advised 
order. And yet the infatuated apostate did not 
give up his system of double-dealing. One day 
after a military review and distribution of largesses 
to the soldiers — the very occasion mentioned 
above in connection with Jovian — Julian, on his 
return from the praetorian camp, turned into the 


Imperial Strategy. 283 

basilica dedicated to the Genius of the city, to offer 
sacrifice to the guardian divinity. At the door 
stood the minister whose office it was to sprinkle 
with the lustral water those who entered the temple 
for religious purposes. Valentinian, whose official 
character kept him v^ery near to the person of the 
Emperor, received of course his share of the cere- 
monial sprinkling, when, quick as thought, he 
knocked down the officiating minister, tore from 
his military cloak the part which had been defiled 
by the heathen rite and trampled it under foot, in 
the very presence of Augustus. 

Another characteristic action of Julian’s became 
known soon after the events just mentioned, and 
caused an intense excitement in Constantinople, 
and in other parts of the empire. It happened on 
the occasion of a review of the troops, while the 
legionaries were advancing to the throne of Augus- 
tus to receive the usual largess. Julian naturally 
hated the Labarum with all his heart, because it 
was preeminently a Christian symbol ; accordingly, 
he seized an early opportunity to remove it from 
the army, and to put in its place the Roman 
eagles and other emblems in an attitude of respect 
towards the old Senatus Populus Que Romanus. 
And as a further grievance to the Christian 
soldiers, who formed the larger part of the army, 
he restored the old heathen practice of burning 
incense before these standards to the Genius of the 
Emperor. The standards were set up close beside 
the stand on which the Emperor sat to distribute 


284 


Tigranes, 


the largesses; several officers were posted near the 
stand to see that every soldier, before receiving his 
money, threw some grains of incense on the pan of 
live coals which were set before the standards. The 
more wary Christians, noticing something unusual 
in the appearance of the new ensigns, now brought 
out for the first time, examined them as they 
approached, and refused the act of homage. The 
majority of the legionaries, however, came forward 
without perceiving the trick ; thinking that the 
Labarum still held its wonted position, and hur- 
ried on, besides, by the officers who were in the 
plot, they unwittingly did homage to the idolatrous 
emblems. Julian, after the review, boasted loudly 
of the favorable change in the sentiments of the 
legions, as if this involuntary act had been a 
deliberate profession of apostasy. But he soon 
learned that his Christian soldiers were anything 
but apostates at heart. 

Among those who had been tricked into bowing 
before the standards and burning incense to the 
Genius of Julian, was a brave and stalwart young 
officer named Romanus, whose generous and 
cheerful disposition made him a general favorite 
in the army. After the review he went with the 
other officers to the banquet which usually followed 
the ceremony, and before beginning he blessed 
himself, as usual, with the sign of the cross. One 
of his companions, perceiving the action, turned to 
him, and, either through malice or thoughtless- 
ness, exclaimed : 


Impe 7 ial Strategy. 285 

^‘What are you about? Are you going to turn 
back again to Christ? You are an incomprehen- 
sible fellow, certainly.’"' 

“ What do you mean ?” asked Romanus. 

“Mean!” rejoined the other; “Did you not 
just now renounce Jesus Christ?” 

“ 1 1” exclaimed the noble youth, indignantly, 
“I, Romanus, renounce my Lord?” he continued, 
laying his hand upon his heart. “Never! never!” 

“ Why, you did it a moment ago, when you 
burned incense to the Genius of the Emperor and 
to Jupiter.” 

“What do you mean? You are dreaming. I 
offered incense to the Labarum, to our Lord 
Christ. I saluted the image of Augustus.” 

n“ Well, there was an image of Jupiter within it, 
and of Mars and Mercury besides.” 

“ It is impossible.” 

“Indeed there was; and to tell you the truth, I 
could not help crossing myself when I S3iw you cast 
the incense upon the coals. You may be sure that 
Julian reckons you among those who have gone 
over to his side.” 

These words, which had been heard by all, were 
followed by a dead silence ; every Christian looked 
at his neighbor inquiringly, and then began to 
examine his own feelings. Every countenance 
bore evident marks of astonishment, grief and 
indignation. Romanus turned deadly pale and 
trembled in every limb, not with fear, but with 
horror at the thought of what he had done. Then 


286 


Tigt'anes. 

starting up suddenly, his heart full of a noble 
resolution, he broke the general silence; bringing 
down his clenched hand upon the table before him 
with fearful vehemence, he exclaimed: 

“ We are betrayed ! These coins are the reward 
of Judas; they will burn my hands and my heart 
until I can cast them down at the feet of our 
betrayer. Follow me who will 

In an instant he had gained the door, and rushed 
out towards the imperial palace, but not alone. 
His comrades, strongly moved by the voice of 
conscience and by his noble example, followed 
him in a body. The tidings of this movement 
had soon spread to the other legions — the Chris- 
tians, roused to indignation, hastened to join the 
band of Romanus; they marched into the city 
crying out against the perfidious act of treachery, 
and swearing to be faithful to Christ; the streets 
and public squares, as they passed, resounded with 
their protestations that they vvere not false to the 
faith, that tliey had been betrayed. “We are not 
apostates!” they cried. “We have not denied the 
faith! We are Christians! Live Jesus Christ, the 
Son of God !” And so, loudly proclaiming their 
faith, they rushed into the palace, breaking down 
all opposition. 

Julian, surrounded by his usual suite, happened 
to be crossing an open gallery on his way to the 
dining-hall. The approach of this throng of angry 
legionaries, their excited looks and loud cries, sent 
a thrill of apprehension through his heart, for his 


28; 


Imperial Strategy. 

first thought was of a military rev^olt. But when 
he saw them halt at a respectful distance, Romanus 
alone advancing towards him, he recovered his 
wonted boldness, and asked the intruder: 

“Soldier, what do you seek?” 

“Take back your money,” replied Romanus, 
casting the gold pieces at the Emperor’s feet, “we 
did not know that it was the price of apostasy.” 

Then the marble pavement rang with the shower 
of gold coins, thrown down by the Christian sol- 
diers, who broke out into loud cries: “We are 
Christians! We will die, but not betray our faith! 
You have betrayed us! Live the Lord Christ!’* 

And before Julian of his courtiers could recover 
from the terror, shame and rage which filled their 
souls, the brave soldiers turned away with joyful 
countenances, as if relieved of a heavy burden, and 
once more passed through the city on their way to 
the camp.* Everywhere, as they passed, they were 
greeted with enthusiastic cheers, and hailed as gen- 
erous confessors of the faith. 

But ere they reached their quarters the orders 
of the infuriated Emperor had already arrived. 
Romanus and the other ringleaders were to be 
put in irons immediately on their arrival, and, on 
the following day, beheaded in the presence of 
the* army. The tidings of the martyrdom, which 
awaited these noble champions, of the faith, was 
soon noised abroad, all Constantinople was astir. 
The dawn of the next day beheld the place ap- 
pointed for the execution of the sentence densely 


288 Tig ran es. 

crowded with spectators, and when the prisoners 
were led forth from the camp, as if their own 
great ardor for martyrdom had been radiated 
into the souls of the multitude, the immense 
throng received them with an enthusiastic greet- 
ing which rent the sky, and resounded far across 
the waters of the Bosphorus. All eyes were 
turned upon Romanus, who marched lightly and 
cheerfully forward, loaded as he was with fetters, 
and ever as he passed along he was greeted with 
sighs and groans of compassion, with words and 
signs of encouragement, and all entreated the 
prayers of the noble martyrs of Jesus Christ The 
whole scene was more like one of the glorious 
martyr triumphs of the first ages of the Church 
than the cruel prelude of a military execution. 

According to the usual custom in such cases, 
the youngest of the condemned was to be exe- 
cuted first, and Romanus, kneeling with his head 
bent forward, was joyfully awaiting his crown. 
His companions stood around, praying for him 
and for themselves, their eyes raised to the heaven 
which they hoped soon to enter in joyful proces- 
sion; the deacons stood by with sponges con- 
cealed under their cloaks, ready to secure the 
blood of the martyrs ; the faithful pressed forward, 
eager to dip handkerchiefs and napkins in the 
same precious stream ; the executioner, with arms 
bared to the elbows, his sword still sheathed, 
covered his face with his hands — he dared not look 
upon the noble victim, but awaited in silence the 


289 


Imperial Strategy. 

signal to begin his bloody work. Suddenly, from 
the outermost verge of the great multitude, in the 
direction of the city-gate, came a tumultuous wave 
of great commotion, and a loud cry was raised : 
“ Hold ! Hold ! A respite ! A respite !” The crowd 
quickly gave way to right and left, and through 
their opened ranks a courier from the Emperor 
came spurring to the place of execution, just in 
time to stay the sword almost ready to descend 
upon the noble youth. The commanding officer 
read the despatch, which commuted the sentence 
of death into that of forfeiture of all military rank, 
honors and rewards, with banislunent for life. The 
decree was received with universal joy. Romanus 
alone, rising slowly to his feet, broke out into sighs 
and tears : Unhappy man that I am !” he ex- 
claimed, a moment more, and I hoped to enter 
heaven bearing my palm ; now Augustus has 
snatched it from me. It is a just judgment of 
God; I was not worthy of so great an honor!” 

The crowd gradually dispersed, each one making 
his own comments on the motives of Julian in 
changing the punishment. Few ascribed it to any 
feeling of moderation or returning generosity, 
nearly all to a sense of shame, and to the reflection 
that such a stain on the imperial purple would 
have branded its wearer with eternal disgrace. 
One old man expressed the common feeling of 
apprehension as he muttered : “ Let him but once 
get his nails well buried in the body of the Repub- 
lic, and you will see strange things.” 


290 


Ti cranes. 

c> 

Julian had, in the meantime, been kept informed 
of every detail, and the successive messengers, as 
they came in, found him pacing his private apart- 
ment, like a caged tiger, foaming with rage. He 
stopped from time to time only to turn to his sole 
companions, Oribasius and Maximus, and to utter 
imprecations or threats of vengeance. 

“Ungrateful citizens!” he exclaimed, “to take 
the part of those who insult me in my own palace! 
And then you will come to claim some new pri- 
vileges or favors from me. Give me but time to 
carry out my plans in Asia, and you shall feel my 
favors 1” 

“They are Galileans,” suggested his companions, 
“it is their way to adore criminals. Do they not 
worship the very cross?” 

“Yes,” cried Julian furiously, “and I will give 
them plenty of it, I will give it to them with all my 
heart. May the gods favor my designs I But let 
us think of Asia for the present; let us leave this 
accursed city, this air poisoned by the breath of the 
Galileans. Now for Asia I Now for Persia! And 
then”— 


XXI. 


ST. ARTEMIUS. 




<^(fULIAN’S hypocrisy was no longer of any avail 
to conceal his fixed purpose of persecuting 
the Church, and of rooting out, if his plans 
did but succeed, the very name of Jesus 
Christ ; if any doubt remained of this satanic 
design, it was dispelled when he gave up the 
Church of Africa to the fury of the Donatists ; 
then seizing the occasion offered by the disturb- 
ances to which this injustice gave rise, he charged 
the Christians with sedition, and added his own 
bloody violence to that of the heretics. Every 
stage of the Emperor’s march, from Constantinople 
to Antioch, whence he purposed to start on his 
Persian campaign, was disgraced by deeds of shame 
and cruelty. At Pessinus, mere boys, for the only 
crime of fidelity to the faith of the Church, were, 
by his orders, torn to pieces ; in Galatia, the priest 
Philoromus was murdered for the tyrant’s plea- 
sure; he wreaked his impious rage on Basil, a 
priest of Ancyra, and gave up to a most cruel 
death Eustochia, a virgin of Tarsus. To these 
personal acts of brutal barbarity, worthy of Decius 

291 


292 


Jigranes, 


and Diocletian, were added many more and worse 
atrocities of heathen magistrates, and even of pri- 
vate individuals emboldened by the open encour- 
agement and example of their superiors. 

Already, before the arrival of Julian, Antioch 
had been placed under the authority of pagan 
officers and tools of the Emperor. ‘‘ God help 
us !” said the holy priest Paulinus, the strength 
and consolation of the clergy in that metropolis ; 
“God help us! Every day I hear of some new 
deed of destruction in the churches of Asia, of 
Egypt and of Italy. We are at the mercy of men 
of blood, and the Emperor is the leader of them 
all. How else could the heathen priesthood 
flourish with impunity? How could the leaders 
of heresy hold up their heads so proudly, and 
boastingly threaten and foretell, as they do, ruin 
to our churches and banishment, prison, or death 
to us?” 

The people of Antioch, keen-witted and satirical 
Greeks, did not hide the disgust and indignation 
they felt at seeing the Emperor parading the streets 
at all hours of the day and night, surrounded by 
a herd of degraded eunuchs and shameless women, 
going to offer sacrifice now at one, now at another 
shrine of heathen notoriety. They laughed con- 
temptuously as he passed with his motley crew, 
they wrote satires and circulated witty sayings 
which stung Julian to the c][i*ick ; but he thought 
it prudent to dissemble for the moment, and so, 
swallowing his wrath as best he could in public, 


S/, Aj'temius. 


293 


he put off the day of vengeance until his return 
from Persia. But in private, among his own, he 
gave full vent to his pent-up feelings. ‘‘Wo to 
this froward and sneering brood,” he cried, “ if I 
return victorious !” And then, as an earnest of 
what might be looked for an his return from the 
campaign, he relieved to some extent his rage at 
the insults offered him in the city and his untiring 
hatred against Christianity, by an act of cruel and 
barbarous spite directed against two priests equally 
illustrious for learning and piety, and greatly 
beloved by the people of Antioch. At first he 
thought to humble them by a trial of philosophy 
and eloquence, but, to his great rage and mortifi- 
cation, he was compelled to retire from the contest, 
defeated and covered with confusion. Then under 
cover of indignation at what he termed their inso- 
lence, Julian ordered some of his minions to sup- 
plement the verbal contest with heavy scourges. 
A great number of citizens had come together to 
hear the discussion, and when this cruel order was 
I given by Julian, a thrill of horror and indignation 
I ran through the multitude. Then followed a dead 
silence. For a time no sound was heard but the 
whizzing of the lashes and the quick, sharp blows, 
i as they fell upon the backs of the unresisting vic- 
tims, when suddenly a voice was raised, and in a 
loud and clear tone came the words: “Augustus, 
1 how dare you thus cruelly persecute holy and 
' innocent victims? You too are mortal, and God, 
' who gave you the empire, may take it from you 
again 


294 


Ti^.ranes, 

Pale and trembling with rage, the Emperor 
stayed the cruel work, and cried out, “ Where is 
that daring villain ?” 

All looks were turned toward the group of 
officers about the Emperor (for from among them 
the voice had come), when one of their number, 
the Prefect of Egypt, stepped forth. He had but 
recently come to ^ntioch with his legions, to swell 
the imperial forces preparing for the Persian cam- 
paign, and his dignity gave him a place very near 
the Emperor’s person. But Julian had not yet 
had time to speak with him, and did not even 
know him by sight. Every eye was fixed upon 
the robust and martial form of the venerable old 
officer as he stood, clothed in his white Egyptian 
tunic, in the presence of the angry tyrant. 

“What Prefect is this?” asked Julian, recogniz- 
ing his insignia of office. 

“ The Prefect of Egypt,” answered several ready 
sycophants. 

“What, Artemius!” cried Julian, foaming with 
rage, and looking upon the calm face of the old 
man, as if he would have transpierced him with the 
flames which shot from his piercing eyes. “Then 
this is the Artemius who plotted the death of 
my brother Gall us. Thanks to the gods and to 
Apollo, he has betrayed himself, and I shall punish 
him as the murderer of a prince deserves to be 
punished. Ten ordinary deaths would not come 
up to his desert; but let him die to-morrow; 
to-day he shall pay only for his insolent speech. 
Executioners, seize him I” 


kS/. Artemms, 


295 


The noble victim v/as seized, stripped of his 
military belt and decorations and bound. The 
brutal executioners then gathered around him and 
scourged him with heavy leather scourges, until 
his body was one ghastly wound, and the ground 
at his feet ran with his blood — and all the while 
the noble martyr never uttered a word or a groan, 
nor showed any sign of pain. The murmurs and 
suppressed imprecations of the people were begin- 
ning to grow louder, and Julian himself began to 
feel ashamed of the brutal hatred he was showing 
towards a noble officer of the Empire, a man of 
venerable age, and known innocence. Rising from 
his seat, he ordered the punishment to cease for 
the time, and directed the officer in command to 
keep the prisoner in irons until further orders. 

The hatred awakened in the breast of Julian 
by the fearless rebuke of Artemius was too deep- 
rooted and malignant to be washed out even by 
the blood which had been spilled on this occasion. 
The two offenders, whose innocence the high- 
souled officer had dared to proclaim, were exiled, 
but their champion was kept for new and more 
painful tortures, and every fresh infliction was 
accompanied by some hypocritical profession of 
pity, or some attempts to persuade the victim to 
betray his faith and to adopt the professions of 
the apostate Emperor, who nevet failed to improve 
these occasions to vent his bitter hatred against 
Christianity, to justify his cruelty and to abuse his 
predecessors, Constantine and Constantins. But 


296 Tigranes. 

Artemius, though a soldier, was well enough 
acquainted with the teachings of both the Chris- 
tian Chihrcli and the heathen priests, to meet all 
the sophisms of his polemical judge, and even to 
turn his opponent’s weapons against himself, for 
he pressed him so hard with passages from the 
most learned heathen philosophers and from the 
Sibylline oracles, which were at that time very 
generally familiar to the pagans, and urged his 
arguments with such clearness, force and readi- 
ness, that all who heard him were struck with 
wonder. Julian, for very shame, felt the words 
dying on his lips when he would have replied. 
The greatest discomfiture suffered by the apostate 
was the clear and unanswerable defence by which 
Artemius cleared himself of the charge of com- 
plicity in the murder of Callus. But when he 
replied to the spiteful abuse in which Julian in- 
dulged against the great Constantine, he raised 
his head proudly, and shaking his white locks : 

Do you come here to me,’^ he replied indignanty, 
“to vilify the greatest of the Roman Caesars? To 
me who fought for the Republic under his standard 
when I was as yet but a fair-haired youth ? To 
me, who stood by his side and with the whole 
Roman army saw the bright cross which was 
shown to him in the heavens, in the broad light of 
day, and read with my own eyes the promise of 
victory written with the rays of the sun in the mid- 
day sky? Cease, youthful Augustus; no more of 
these foul words and groundless calumnies ! It 


SL Artemius. 


297 


shocks me to wear your livery, when I read in 
your letters and hear from your lips the frequent 
and profane oaths you swear by the god of the 
Sun. Would you raise to life again the rotten 
and fetid carcass of dead superstitions? How 
much more nobly would you guard the interests 
of the empire and your own, by humbling yourself 
before the Lord Christ. He is clement and merci- 
ful towards sinners if they do but repent. Even 
now” — 

All those who were present showed their strong 
sympathy with these noble sentiments, even Julian 
had been for a moment overcome by the eloquent 
appeal ; but as soon as he heard the exhortation to 
repentance, the evil spirit within him was stirred up, 
and with the air and tone of one who felt himself 
deeply insulted, he exclaimed angrily: “Rash old 
man, do you dare thus insolently to tax me with 
impiety ? The instruments of the torturers shall 
avenge my insulted honor !” And indeed, the 
executioners applied to the holy Martyr all the 
implements of torture at their command. But the 
rack, the iron hooks, the heated irons, and sharp 
knives were of no avail ; the brave old man never 
flinched or showed the least sign of weakness. 
The Christians exulted in the triumph of the 
Martyr, while the tyrant writhed with shame and 
vexation at his defeat. 

Tigranes had felt his heart moved to pity and 
compassion for Artemius from the beginning, both 
because of the venerable age of the old man, and 


298 


Tigranes. 

because this sudden charge, brought against him 
without any show of proof, seemed to him but a 
cloak to Julian’s hatred for everything Christian. 
He could not bring himself to be present at these 
repeated interviews and tortures; but when he 
heard of the cruel punishments inflicted, of the 
marvellous eloquence of the sufferer and his heroic 
constancy, he could not resist a strong desire to 
speak with so remarkable a man. He accordingly 
went very early one morning to the prison, and 
was readily admitted, thanks to his dignity of pri- 
vate secretary to the Emperor, though strict orders 
had been given that no one should be allowed to 
enter. He found the holy Martyr confined in a 
horrid dungeon, badly ventilated, and so scantily 
lighted by a small opening in the roof, that he 
would not have known where to look for the 
prisoner, but for the noise of the chains which 
clanked on the stone floor as the old man rose 
from prayer, and asked : 

Who is there ?” 

‘‘A brother in Jesus Christ,’’ answered Tigranes, 
carefully closing the iron door behind him. 

“The peace of Jesus Christ be with you.” 

“And with thy spirit.” 

“But indeed,” continued Tigranes, after these 
first greetings, then of ordinary use among the 
Christians, “you must suffer very much.” 

“You mistake,” answered Artemius, joyfully. 
“Not even amid all the comforts and pleasures of 
my palace did I ever enjoy hours of purer joy than 


SL Ar/emius. 


299 


now. Jesus Christ has shown His mercy to an 
unworthy servant. But now this gloomy dungeon 
was filled with the splendor of His presence, and 
from His' own divine lips I received the promise 
of a crown already prepared for me in heaven ; He 
has declared to me that He will confess me before 
His Father, because I have confessed Him before 
men. At His words I felt that life and strength 
were restored to my limbs, while my soul was 
filled with heavenly delights. O the unspeakable 
goodness of the Lord !” 

The prisoner had risen at the entrance of Tigranes 
and stood beneath the opening in the roof. By the 
slender stream of light which entered, Tigranes saw 
before him a venerable man almost naked; and, 
indeed, there w^as left no trace on his body of the 
cruel punishments he had endured. 

Tigranes, impelled by an irresistible feeling of 
awe and reverence, threw himself at the feet of the 
heroic confessor, and kissing his chains, exclaimed, 
“Glory be to Jesus Christ for ever and ever!“ 

“ No, no, my brother, cease !“ cried the holy 
Martyr, withdrawing himself from the homage of 
Tigranes. “The wretched Artemius does not 
deserve the honors due to martyrs. Many and 
great are my sins; if you did but know them, you 
would pray for me instead of kissing my chains.^ 

“And yet you braved the anger of Caesar for the 
sake of justice,” said Tigranes, whose reverence 
was increased a hundred-fold by the sincere humil- 
ity of the old man, “and while every part of your 


300 


Tigranes. 

body was streaming with blood you sang glad 
hymns of praise to Jesus Christ/* 

“ And I had good reason for it. I trust that this 
momentary torture may help to appease the wrath 
of God heaped up against me by my multiplied 
offences.” 

‘'Father, what do you say? These sufferings 
have set the crown upon your virtues. Jesus 
Christ Himself has promised you the kingdom of 
heaven.’* 

“Yes, and that promise is my great comfort; 
infinite mercy has granted it to my weakness, 
though I deserved nothing but indignation. Learn, 
young man, the history of my prevarication, and 
may it be a useful lesson to you in the perilous 
times in which we live.” 

Tigranes leaned back against a projecting stone 
in the w^all opposite to the speaker, and listened in 
an attitude of fixed attention as the narrative pro- 
ceeded. 

“You must know,” continued Artemius, “that 
I was once, according to the world’s notion, great, 
illustrious and powerful. Constantine and his son 
Constantins, seemed to vie with each other in load- 
ing me with honors and power; all Egypt trembled 
at the sound of my name — and I abused my good 
fortune. To keep the favor of the Court, I was 
senseless enough to join hands with the enemies 
of the Divine Word. O Christ, my Lord, let my 
present grief move Thee to mercy! Yes, I favored 
and helped on the Arian impiety; I gave support 


SL Artemms, 


301 


to George, the intruder thrust by the Emperor 
into the Episcopal See of Alexandria, and I did 
not move a finger to check him when he began to 
rage like a wild beast against the Catholic clergy, 
the monks and consecrated virgins. So far was I 
led by the miserable ambition of pleasing Augus- 
tus, that I even began to persecute the much 
wronged Bishop Athanasius, as he lay concealed 
in a quiet hermitage, even Athanasius, that sublime 
hero, than whom the Christian world holds none 
more holy or venerable. How bitter now is the 
remembrance of that fatal night when I led an 
armed band up the Nile, and landed at Tabenna. 
Merciful God, strike out that day from the record 
of my life ! We rowed up the stream with muffled 
oars and landing near the Monastery of Paba, 
treacherously surrounded it. Not the memory of 
the great Pacomius, nor reverence for the world- 
renowned holiness of the dwellers in the sacred 
place could restrain my sinful ambition for favor. 
The defenceless religious trembled when they saw 
me enter surrounded by armed men; wrapping 
themselves up in their goat-skin cloaks and hiding 
their faces in their white cowls, they quietly awaited 
the stroke of death, for they expected nothing else 
from the minister of Arian oppression. I ordered 
the Abbot to give up to me the rebel Athanasius 
by command of the Emperor. • 

“ He is not here,” replied the man of God. 

‘‘That we shall soon ascertain,’’ said I haughtily 
and with a threatening gesture. My followers 


302 


Tigraiies. 

scoured the monastery and pried into every corner, 
but they did not find the Saint; a merciful God 
spared me the fresh sacrilege of laying violent 
hands upon His anointed. Even then my con- 
science began to feel the sting of remorse ; filled 
with shame and with dread of the divine vengeance, 
i strove to reassure the monks and invited them 
to come with me to the church to pray for me. 

“ No,” they answered with one voice, “ it is not 
lawful for us to hold communion in prayer with 
the Arians.” 

“ I had resolved to go to the church, but I was 
obliged to go alone. I knelt to pray, when, strange 
to say, sleep came upon me there, and in my sleep 
I saw a fearful vision. It seemed to me that I was 
suddenly surrounded by multitudes of angels, who 
looked upon me with dreadful anger and indig- 
nation ; some were brandishing heavy scourges, 
others flaming swords. Terrified and trembling 
from head to foot, I cried for mercy and pardon, 
promising to do penance for my crime. Then I 
awaked in terror, feeling as if I had just been 
drawn out from the sea, and I found myself covered 
with blood which was pouring from my nostrils. 
To be brief, I confessed my sin before those holy 
servants of God and went back, a changed man, to 
Alexandria. Happy will you be, my brother, if 
ev^er it is given you to kneel before the blessed 
Athanasius and receive his blessinsr.” 

o 

“ God grant I may ! God grant it !” cried Ti- 
granes fervently. 


S^. Artemius, 


303 


such be your good fortune,’* continued Arte- 
mius, “ remember to tell him that his cruel perse- 
cutor, the wretched Artemius, before giving his 
blood for Jesus Christ, wept bitterly for his former 
crime and implored his forgiveness.’* 

“ Fear not,” said Tigranes. “ It shall be my 
first word if ever my eyes may be so blest as to 
behold Athanasius.** 

“ I did strive to atone for my fault by great zeal 
for God’s house, by destroying the temples of 
pagan worship and the haunts of pagan luxury; 
but my repentance was not yet pure and perfect, 
for I had not yet entirely broken with the heretics ; 
but now our merciful Lord has given me the occa- 
sion of making up, I trust, what was wanting. 
When I was summoned hither with my legions I 
had no thought but of fighting the enemies of the 
Republic. But when I witnessed the cruel punish- 
ment inflicted upon those innocent servants of 
God, I remembered that I too had once been a 
persecutor, and feared that if I remained silent their 
blood might be required of me. You know the 
rest. Brother, help me to return thanks to our 
Lord.” 

Tigranes had listened with rapt attention to the 
humble confession of the holy Martyr, and he saw 
the tears which coursed each other along his fur- 
rowed cheeks and down his white beard, and when 
the old man ceased, he threw himself at his feet, 
kissed his hands and the rough chains which held 
him bound, and exclaimed: 


304 


Tigranes. 

‘'Father, God has washed out the record of your 
faults with your blood. Happy are you now; but 
can I do anything for you ?” 

“ I need prayers — nothing else. Death has al- 
ready been promised me by our Lord Jesus 
Christ.” 

“And do not forget me, I entreat you, in the 
hour of your triumph; remember, too, my be- 
trothed, a Christian virgin,” 

But the time had come for Tigranes to with- 
draw. Artemius very soon received his sentence 
in these terms: “Artemius, having insulted the 
gods and transgressed the Roman laws and ours, 
having declared himself a Christian instead of a 
Roman and a Hellenist, and having confessed him- 
self a Galilean, though a Prefect and an imperial 
ofiicer, is condemned to the extreme penalty, death. 
We order that his head be struck off with the 
sword.” 

Nor was this the only blood shed in Alexandria 
during the brief sojourn of Julian. At the same 
time Tigranes was receiving letters from Basil and 
Gregory of Nazianzum, telling him of the extor- 
tions, the robberies and other deeds of violence 
committed by order of Augustus in their native 
city ; from all parts of the East and West he heard 
the groans of the Churches suffering under a most 
treacherous and often bloody persecution. All 
this had its effect; Tigranes was becoming daily 
more and more disgusted wdth the conduct of 
affairs, mere and more eager to hasten to Carrhae, 


S^. Artemius, 


305 


to have done with that infamous court which was 
working so much evil in all parts of the world. 
But the advance of the army was put off from day 
to day, and he saw no hope of getting away until 
after the campaign, when suddenly Julian himself 
offered him the occasion for which he had been so 
long sighing. 

“My dear friend,” said Julian to him one day, 
“do you see this batch of letters? They are from 
Alexandria, and they tell me of business in which 
I wish to engage your tried fidelity and secrecy — 
just as in the matter of that answer from Carrhae ! 
Now listen, and then tell me whether you have the 
heart to undertake what 1 propose. You know 
that Alexandria is the apple of my eye, and now 
the Alexandrians have done me the greatest favor 
I could have desired. Their bishop was a tool of 
Constantius; you may have heard of him, one 
George” — 

“Have they not Athanasius?” interrupted Ti- 
granes. 

“They had; but Constantius dethroned him and 
set up in his stead this George, a marvel of crafti- 
ness, avarice and meanness even for a Galilean 
bishop. The only good trait in the man was that 
he kept down the monks and other over pious fools 
by a judicious application of the scourge; I could 
have found it in my heart to keep him in his office 
for this alone, but the fellow has Trought down 
destruction on his own head. He suddenly took 
a notion to quarrel wuth the worshippers of the 


3o6 


Tigrait^s. 

gods, and then exasperated and insulted them by 
publicly exposing the mysteries of Mithras to the 
mockery of the profane populace; just fancy, he 
even threatened to force' his entrance into the tem- 
ple of Serapis, to violate the most sacred sanctuary 
of all Egypt ! I have already settled my accounts 
with Artemius, who was his right hand in all this; 
the Alexandrians have done as much for George 
himself. The worshippers of Mithras, hearing how 
I had dealt with Artemius, understood that the 
hour had come to avenge the outraged honor of 
the gods. 

“They made short work of it too ; he was seized, 
bound, seated upon a camel with his face to the 
animal’s tail, and while they drove him thus 
through the city they loaded him with blows and 
insults; finally, they despatched him with several 
other disturbers of the public peace. Now here 
is what I would have you do, if you are a 'man. I 
have sent a severe rebuke to the Senate and peo- 
ple of Alexandria. When a man is Emperor, you 
know, he cannot always speak his true sentiments. 
But still, you understand, I must apply the salve 
to public disorders; though, of course, I should be 
a fool to be really angry with those who rid me of 
my enemies, and therefore it is necessary that some 
one should speak to them from me by word of 
mouth, and explain the meaning of those des- 
patches. But this is only a secondary consider- 
ation ; the main point of your mission will be to 
make sure of the splendid library of this George, 


Si. Artenims. 


307 


which I have determined to secure for my own 
use, without the loss of a single volume. It is 
very odd that that blockhead should have had 
such a passion for really good books, which he 
never did or could read, and it is quite proper that 
some one should inherit them who can make good 
use of them. Tiue, I have issued a stern decree 
about this matter of the books, but they will not 
be safe enough unless 1 have some trusty agent 
there to watch my interests. Athanasius is capa- 
ble of stepping in and securing, through some 
third person, the best of the books. That Atha- 
nasius has already given me some trouble, and I 
am thinking seriously of settling with him very 
speedily” — 

‘‘And I run, I fly,” interrupted Tigranes, who 
began to see the way open for carrying out his 
cherished design. “ Now to save Athanasius,” he 
said to himself. 

‘‘That is just what I expected of you,” replied 
Julian. “You are my man; you anticipate my 
very thoughts.” 

“Set your mind at rest, Augustus. You shall 
be served as Tigranes knows how to serve.” 

On the very next morning Tigranes, furnished 
with the imperial seal and letters patent, was off 
for Alexandria, fully determined to warn Atha- 
nasius of the danger which threatened his life.* 

* The details contained in this chapter concerning St. Arte- 
mius, are all taken from the complete Acts published by the 
learned Card. Mai, and ascribed by him to St. John Damascene. 


V 


XXII. 


TRIUMPH OF THE FAITH. 

i RTEMIUS was not the only victim contributed 
by Antioch to satisfy the anti-Christian fury 
- of Julian ; in every quarter of the city families 
were mourning the loss of some of their num- 
ber, who had suddenly disappeared, and were never 
heard of more. Young boys and girls, youths and 
maidens alike, were the victims of this cruel visita- 
tion. No one knew then how to account for this 
strange disappearance save only Julian and the 
heathen priests — these were the living victims 
sacrificed by the hand of the Emperor himself to 
the demons whom he invoked to crown his arms 
with victory in the approaching campaign against 
the Persians. They were seized by secret agents 
of the unscrupulous Caesar, and hurried away in 
the darkness of night to the underground vaults 
of the palace, where the horrid rites were per- 
formed. It was no motive of consideration for the 
feelings of his Christian subjects that led Julian to 
shun the light of day in the commission of such 
atrocities, but it was his policy to pass for a mild 
and patient prince. Yet not even all his craft and 
308 


309 


Triumph of the Faith. 

policy was able always to keep down the open 
expression of that diabolical spite and hatred 
toward Christianity which had obtained full sway 
in his soul; hence the deeds of open violence and 
cruelty which stained the streets of Antioch and 
of other cities. Indeed it was through no fault of 
his that Athanasius, the great Patriarch of Alex- 
andria, did not pay forfeit with his life for his 
Christian faith and firmness. It will suffice to 
mention here two other illustrious victims whose 
fate was intended to strike terror into the hearts 
of the faithful of Antioch, though to the disap- 
pointment and rage of Julian, it served but to 
hasten the final triumph of the faith. Julian’s 
brother Callus had, a few years before the events 
of which we are now speaking, erected a monu- 
ment to the memory of the holy martyr Babilas, 
near the fountain of Castalia, in Daphne, a beau- 
tiful spot near Antioch. The design of Callus in 
placing the bones of the holy champion of Christ 
in this spot, and in rearing this memorial of Chris- 
tian constancy, was to atone by their sacred pres- 
ence for the abominations which desecrated the 
place in the worship of Apollo, who was said by 
the poets to have met and wooed the nymph 
Daphne on this spot. Julian had long sought 
some response concerning his projected campaign 
from the famous oracle at Daphne, but Apollo 
seemed to have been suddenly struck with dumb- 
> ness in this neighborhood ; at last a sullen answer 
j was obtained from the god, to the effect that he 


3 1 o Tigranes. 

could not speak until ‘‘an offensive corpse was 
reinoved from this spot’’ This much we learn 
from the words of Julian himself in his Misopogon, 
a work still extant It was not easy for Julian to 
gratify the divinity and himself by unearthing and 
burning the sacred remains, for the people of 
Antioch honored St Babilas as their special patron 
and protector; yet the Emperor was bent upon hav- 
ing a response from the god, and the relics must 
be removed in some way or other. After much 
deliberation Julian finally summoned the bishop, 
St Miletius, and ordered him to remove from 
Daphne the remains of his dead. The holy pre- 
late understood at once the bearing of this order, 
and took it as an interposition of divine mercy that 
no worse disposition had been made of the sacred 
relics ; he accordingly prepared to carry out the 
imperial decree. 

The tidings of the proposed removal of the relics 
spread like wildfire among the inhabitants of the 
city, and was as quickly communicated to the 
neighboring towns and hamlets. The fervent 
devotion of the Christians was aroused; they 
determined to solemnize the translation with un- 
usual pomp, and, while honoring the saint, to 
throw shame and confusion upon the persecutor. 
From all parts of the country, for miles around, 
they poured into Daphne; the sacred grove of 
Apollo was thronged with devout Christian wor- 
shippers. The remains of the Saint were taken 
up with the greatest reverence and solemnity, and 


Trhi^nph of the Faith. 3 1 1 

placed upon a splendidly decorated car. So great 
was the throng that the clergy could hardly keep 
in order the procession which stretched along the 
high-road leading to Antioch. Among those pres- 
ent on this occasion was the then youthful John 
Chrysostom, who was at a future day to become 
the eloquent historian of this magnificent triumph, 
and to spread its renown to the ends of the earth 
through all time. Thousands of lighted tapers 
glittered along the endless line, clouds of incense 
canopied the procession, joyful strains of sacred 
music filled the air; and to crown the martyr’s 
triumph and the tyrant’s rage, the procession 
passed under the very windows of the imperial 
palace. Julian heard the chant from the inner 
apartment, into which he had withdrawn to shut 
out the sight of the hateful pomp, and his con- 
fusion was at its height when the wave of sacred 
harmony bore to his ears the w^ords of the Royal 
Prophet: “ Let them be all confounded that adore 
graven things, and that glory in their idols.”* 

“Impious blasphemers ! Wretches !” roared the 
infuriated apostate. 

Then the clear young voices of a choir of boys 
and girls, repeating the verses alternately, saluted 
his ears again: “Let them be all confounded that 
adore graven things, and that glory in their 
idols.” 

“Infamous rabble!” shouted Julian. “What! 
insult me in my own palace 1 Ungrateful and cur- 
* Psalm 96, 7. 


312 


Tigranes. ^ 

rish brood ! I would have given you freedom and 
plenty. I protect the religion of Rome, and you 
deride what I hold dearest ! Outraged majesty shall 
be avenged! Officer, call the prefect.” While 
the attendant was hastening to summon the pre- 
fect, Julian paced the room with rapid strides, 
gesticulating and howling like an energumen. 
‘‘ Proud and obstinate race! Woe to you when I 
return from the war ! By the great god of the 
sun I shall make you rue this hour, I shall make 
you weep for what you have sung to-day !” 

The entrance of the prefect, Sallust, interrupted 
this violent soliloquy. “Prefect,” cried Julian, as 
soon as he saw the officer, “go, set the troops 
upon this mob of fanatical rebels. Kill as many 
as you can, and let the rest take warning from their 
punishment.” 

Though a pagan, Sallust was not cruel, and 
moreover he saw that the wholesale execution 
commanded by Julian would only confirm the 
growing conviction of the Emperor’s bloodthirsty 
disposition. But some show had to be made of 
carrying out the imperial order; he accordingly 
seized and threw into prison a certain number of 
the common people, whom he soon after set at 
liberty, with the exception of a young boy named 
Theodore, who had deliberately turned himself 
around so as to face the windows of the palace, 
and, raising his voice above those of his com- 
panions, had defiantly sung the obnoxious verse: 
“ Let them be all confounded that adore graven 


Triu 77 ipJi of the Faith. 313 

things; and that glory in their idols.’' The heroic 
little fellow was scourged to death, singing sacred 
melodies until he expired under the lash. He 
cried out joyfully to those who stood about him 
that an angel of God protected him so that he felt 
no pain from the blows ; the Christians were filled 
with joy, and encouraged the youthful martyr by 
their looks and gestures, some even by words. 
Not long after this occurrence the temple of 
Apollo at Daphne was struck by lightning and 
burned to the ground.* Julian declared his con- 
viction that the temple had been fired by the 
Christians, and seized the occasion to order fresh 
executions and persecutions. Among other out- 
rages committed by his order, was the sack of the 
basilica, generally known as the “Golden,” on ac- 
count of the wealth lavished upon its decorations 
and sacred furniture by the piety of the faithful. 
The minister who carried out this order (and the 
achievement would have done honor to Julian 
himself) was a nephew and namesake of the* Empe- 
ror, an apostate like his uncle. This Count Julian 
learned that a holy priest named Theodpret was 
in the habit of visiting the Christians in the city 
to strengthen their faith as well as their courage, 
and to offer up the Holy Sacrifice for their spirit- 
ual nourishment and consolation. He caused the 
holy man to be dragged before- his tribunal, and, 
eager to win a complete victory at the outset, he 


* Vid. St. John Chrysostom. Discourse on St, Babilas • 


314 


Tigraiies. 

orde»*ed the torture to be at once applied. The 
prisoner was severely scourged, then stretched 
upon the rack with unusual barbarity, while lighted 
torches were applied to his sides. At each new 
infliction the Count insulted his victim with cruel 
mockery, and with diabolical blasphemies urged 
him to deny Jesus Christ. 

“ Unhappy man,” replied the priest, ‘‘you once 
adored Him too, and now do you wish to drag 
others into your miserable apostasy ? Shame !” 

“ I speak in the name of Augustus,” said the 
Count. “ Remember what is written in your 
Sacred Writings: ‘ The heart of the king is in the 
hands of God,' which proves that w^hen he denied 
Christ it was by an impulse from the divinity.” 

“You speak falsely. The heart of the tyrant is 
already given into the hand of the devil.” 

“Whom do you call tyra7ttr' 

“ Whoever has sent you here to tempt me to 
apostasy.” 

“ Cease your insolent foolery ! I can order you 
to instant death.” 

“ Well, do so as soon as it pleases you. I do 
not seek any favor at the price of a sin.” 

“Ah! You are very willing to see the end of 
your torments. You shall not escape so easily. 
You shall die by inches;” 

“ Most senseless of mortals,” said Theodoret 
solemnly, and his brow seemed to glow already 
with the brightness of his approaching crown, 
“you talk of death as if you w'ere the supreme 


315 


Triumph of the Faith. 

arbiter and dispenser of it, and you seem to forget 
that death awaits you too. Yet a few days, and 
you will be stretched upon a bed of agony to die 
a painful and ignominious death. And moreover, 
your tyrant shall not conquer the Persians, as he 
vainly hopes ; he shall not wear the laurels he now 
thinks soon to win, nor shall he ever again set 
foot on Roman soil. He shall perish by an un- 
known hand.”. 

“Strike him down!” cried the terror-stricken 
Count, “pluck out the heart of that mad blas- 
phemer 1” 

Theodoret fell beneath the weapons of the exe- 
cutioners ; but his words did not die with him. 
The death of the Count verified the prediction of 
the martyr; one of his chief agents, a man named 
PYlix, had preceded him by a few hours to the 
tomb. Every day was marked by the violent 
death of one or other of these apostate violators 
of holy things, visibly stricken by the divine ven- 
geance. The pagans and impious men of the lower 
class made no secret of their terror and dismay ; 
the heretical court feigned a stoicism which belied 
its real fear and trepidation. The Christians of 
Antioch began to look up and to hope for better 
days. No one any longer doubted the near fulfil- 
ment of Theodoret’s prophecy, which passed from 
mouth to mouth, with various (iomments and con- 
jectures ; it was communicated by letter to friends 
abroad, to the exiles and prisoners, and the people 
as they read on the public documents the name of 


3 1 6 Tigranes. 

the Emperor, Julian Felix Augustus, would say 
to one another: “Count Julian is dead; Felix is 
dead ; now it is the turn of Augustus/’ 

Meanwhile Alexandria had also witnessed a 
splendid triumph of the Faith in the person of 
her great Patriarch, Athanasius. Tigranes, as has 
been already said, had eagerly accepted the mission 
intrusted to him by Julian. He hurried through 
the thirty-six stations betvveen Antioch and Alex- 
andria without stopping a moment longer than was 
absolutely necessary to change horses, snatching 
a few moments to sleep, or to swallow a few mouth- 
fuls of food without leaving his chariot. His mind 
was occupied by two great thoughts — to find some 
pretext for remaining in Alexandria until the open- 
ing of the Persian campaign, thus to escape the 
sight of those excesses which had disgusted him 
at the court; and, what was still more important 
to him, to discover Athanasius in the concealment 
which had defied the thousand agents and artifices 
of Constantins, in order to warn him of the treach- 
erous designs of Julian. So deeply was he ab- 
sorbed in the consideration of these designs, that 
the striking and varied scenery through which he 
passed did not attract even a passing glance. He 
traversed the beautiful tract of country between 
Pelusium and Alexandria, the very garden of the 
fertile region lying within the Delta, thickly- set 
with cities, towns and hamlets, a vast museum of 
temples, pyramids and monuments, with soft green 
verdure stretching over the whole landscape like 


Triumph of the Faith. 317 

a rich carpet. It was only when he had crossed 
the last of the branches of the Nile, above Andro- 
polis, that his attention was attracted to the great 
number of travellers who were journeying in the 
same direction as himself. At one of the last 
stages of the journey he halted for a few moments 
at an inn which seemed to be crowded with stran- 
gers of all classes and conditions, and seeing a 
group of monks resting in the shade of some palm 
trees, he drew near to them and saluted them cour- 
teously in Greek. No one replied. He repeated 
his greeting in Latin, and the monks looked at one 
another as if asking, “What language is he speak- 
ing?” Then one of the younger members of the 
party, after asking the abbot’s permission by a sign, 
rose and said in Alexandrian Greek : “ Stranger, 
these are monks of Upper Thebais, they do not 
understand the language of Egypt. What do you 
desire ?” 

“Nothing; it was a mere feeling of curiosity 
which led me to address you. Whither are all 
these monks going, whom I have seen on the 
road ? ” 

“To the City.”* 

“For what purpose? If I may ask the ques- 
tion.” 

“ To obtain the blessing of the holy Patriarch.*’ 

“What Patriarch?” 

* The Egyptians styled Alexandria “ the city,” by excellence, 
just as Rome was called “ T/ris” by the Latins, and Athens 

“‘'AiTTy” by the Greeks. 


3i8 


Tig7mies. 

** Have you never heard of the great Patriarch 
cf Egypt? The great Athanasius?’* 

‘‘Athanasius! He has then returned to Alex- 
andria ? ” 

“ Not yet, but he is expected from day to day.’* 
“God be with you, Brother,” said Tigranes, 
taking his leave. He leaped once more into his 
chariot, and now more anxious than ever to reach 
the end of his journey, he called repeatedly to the 
postilions to redouble their speed; but it was all 
to no purpose, the imperial chariot had to thread 
its way through a dense throng of footmen, horse- 
men, cars, chariots and loaded camels, while every 
cross-road, lane or small path, became a new tribu- 
tary, swelling the great stream of liumanity which 
was pouring into the capital. The great Alexan- 
drian canal, which ran along the side of the high- 
way, was covered with boats of every size and 
description — there were the light and graceful 
pleasure-boats, with rich purple cushions and white 
linen curtains and awnings ; heavy barges, crowded 
with people of the middle and lower classes, were 
protected from the sun by awnings of dressed 
leather, gayly decorated with fringes and trimmings 
of many gaudy colors, and here and there bands 
of sturdy youths, for want of better conveyance, 
stood on flat-boats or rafts, propelled and steered 
with homely oars or branches of trees. Rich and 
poor jostled one another on land and water ; the 
monks reciting the psalter, young men singing 
joyful airs — clerics and bishops, women and chil- 


Trmmph of the Faith, 319 

dren all mixed in one indiscriminate mass, all 
intent on one common end, journeyed on together 
towards Alexandria. At Hermopolis all the mon- 
asteries and lauras of Scete and Nitria seemed to 
have poured out their inmates; the streets and 
roads fairly swarmed with their white-cowled 
monks. Further on, Tigranes saw the lake of 
Mareotis spread out on his left under the sun like a 
burnished mirror, whil-e here and there its surface, 
just stirred by the morning breeze, looked like a 
glittering and sparkling sheet of fretted silver, and 
everywhere its bosom was alive with white sails all 
moving in the direction of the grpat metropolis. 

“ Great Heaven ! exclaimed Tigranes, struck 
with wonder and admiration ; and turning to an 
officer, who had entered his chariot at the last 
stage to pay his respects to the imperial envoy, 
what does all this mean ?” he asked. ‘‘ How can 
one city hold such a vast multitude of people ? 
Where will they find food to support them, or 
cohorts to keep them in order 

The worst of all is,’^ replied the officer, ** that 
the stores of the city have been drained for the 
coming war. However, it is consoling to reflect 
that these people will do no harm ; they are 
all peaceably disposed. They have come only to 
receive the blessing of their Patriarch, Athanasius, 
and then they will return quietly to their homes.” 

To give some idea of the immense throng gath- 
ered together on this occasion to hail the return of 
the holy bishop, it may suffice to say, that the 


320 Tigranes. 

number of strangers from all parts of Egypt doubled 
the population of the city, which counted at least 
a million of inhabitants. The object of all this love 
and veneration, the persecuted and exiled Atha- 
nasius, entered the city by the main thoroughfare, 
a noble avenue measuring a hundred feet in width, 
stretching in length as far as the eye could reach, 
and flanked on both sides by lofty temples, lyceums 
and stately palaces, all decorated with the lavished 
wealth of nature and art, their porches crowded 
with eager spectators in holiday attire; hangings 
of the renowned Alexandrian tapestry floated from 
the v/indows, the rays of the sun were flashed back 
from the profuse array of gold and silver, the eye 
was dazzled by a thousand varied colors. 

From the elevated position which he occupied, 
Tigranes could command the whole range of the 
broad avenue, and thus take in at a glance tlie 
varied features of this splendid triumph. The 
humble man of God had refused the costly chariot 
offered by the citizens, as well as the gift of a noble 
white charger, richly caparisoned ; he would have 
nothing but an humble beast of burden, and so he 
entered the city, riding upon the foal of an ass, 
borrowed for the occasion. As he rode slowly up 
the densely thronged avenue, his look showing 
the deep recollection of his soul, his eyes were 
modestly fixed upon the ground, and his hands 
were joined U|.on his breast, except when he raised 
them to give the patriarchal benediction ; he was 
greeted at every step with enthusiastic acclama- 


321 


Triumph of the Faith, 

tions of faith and 9f joy : “ Long live Athanasius !” 

Holy father, bless us !” — Great is the Patriarch 
of the Alexandrians !” — “ Plosannah to the orthodox 
bishop!” — “Hosannah to the victorious exile!” 
Old men wept with joy, mothers held up their 
children for his blessing, ladies threw down from 
the balconies rich spices and perfumes, which were 
burned on stands prepared in the street, filling the 
air with clouds of incense; rare and beautiful 
flowers were showered from all directions upon the 
returning exile’s path. The whole scene was one 
of uncontrollable joy and exultation. 

Thus was Athanasius escorted to the great basil- 
ica, where he publicly returned humble thanks to 
God, and spoke words of peace and concord to the 
clergy and the assembled faithful. During the 
remainder of the day Alexandria presented a 
continuous scene of joy — there was song, and 
music, and feasting everywhere, and at night there 
was not a dwelling that was not ablaze with festive 
light. The most striking feature of this great 
rejoicing was the part taken in it by the very 
heathens and heretics, who declared that now that 
Athanasius was restored to Alexandria, they would 
consider him their father too; they restored to him 
the churches unjustly made over to them by the 
state, and besought him to receive them back to 
his obedience. The whole city seemed to have 
become one household. As if the holiness of 
Athanasius had been poured out upon them as he 
passed, the Christians felt among themselves a 


32 2 Tigranes. 

universal renewal of the life of piety and zeal. 
Young girls began to present themselves in great 
numbers to receive the veil as virgins consecrated 
to God; bands of youths came to receive the 
blessing of the Saint, and then went to people the 
still unoccupied parts of the desert, while their 
parents, far from hindering them, blessed their 
journey, and envied them their vocation; numer- 
ous and generous alms poured in for the support 
of the poor and the widows, and every orphan 
found adoptive parents; the basilicas resounded, 
at every hour, with psalms, and hymns, prayers, 
and sacred homilies, and crowds attended the cele- 
bration of the sacred offices of religion ; the dwell- 
ings became temples of worship, and the holy tem- 
ples were sanctified by unceasing prayer. 

Athanasius seemed to multiply himself, and to 
be everywhere at once. He preached in all the 
churches, visited and comforted the communities 
of monks and nuns, instructed the new catechu- 
mens, who came now in unusual numbers to 
receive baptism, received into the bosom of the 
Church heretics and penitents — in a word, he 
brought back the faith and fervor of the first days 
of the Apostolic Church. And as if Alexandria 
alone had been a field too narrow for his great 
soul, his first act was to convoke a synod of his 
patriarchate to condemn heretical perfidy, to 
restore the prelates who had fallen through weak- 
ness, and give back peace and union to the 
churches of the East. 


Triumph of the Faith. 323 

Meanwhile Tigranes had not forgotten his chief 
design in coming to Alexandria. Though the Pre- 
fect of Egypt, a pliant tool of Julian’s, was absent 
from the city just then, still he might return at any 
moment, and play some treacherous game against 
the life of the Patriarch. Accordingly, on the very 
evening of his arrival he communicated his design 
to Didymus, a man of high official rank, and a fer- 
vent Christian, whose hospitality he had accepted 
during his stay in Alexandria. Through the influ- 
ence of this friend he easily obtained an audience 
of the holy Patriarch on the following day, made 
him acquainted with the plots formed at the Court 
of Julian, and begged him to place himself in safety 
before the return of the Prefect to the city. Atha- 
nasius replied that he had no fear, that more angels 
would help him in his need than Augustus could 
summon demons to assist him in his wicked 
machinations. The faith and confidence of Atha- 
nasius were once more rewarded by the divine 
protection, and not all the schemes of the Apos- 
tate, seconded by the active hatred of the Prefect 
of Egypt, were able again to deprive Alexandria 
of the great Patriarch Athanasius. 


XXIII. 


SATANIC HATE. 


^OT many years ago, the hand of God fell 
heavily upon one who had been a moving 
spirit in that persecution against the Church 
of God and His Vicar upon earth, of which 
we have been and still are witnesses; and as he 
lay upon the bed of death he still uttered the cele- 
brated aphorism, ‘‘A free Church in a free State.'' 
What may have been the value of that maxim and 
the sincerity of him who uttered it, at such a 
moment, is not a matter of inquiry for us ; it lies in 
the hidden judg'ments of God. What it was 
worth during his lifetime, and what its significance 
in the minds of his colleagues and successors, time 
and facts have unmistakably shown. It is nothing 
better than a shameless fraud, an empty name, a 
mere repetition of the maxim so frequently and 
ostentatiously proclaimed by Julian the Apostate: 

Freedom for all, Greeks — that is, worshippers 
of idols — and Galileans — which meant Christians" 
— a principle which that unscrupulous tyrant took 
particular pains to assert at the very time when he 
was persecuting, with fire and sword and with all 

324 


Satanic Hate. 


325 


the resources of the most refined cruelty, the faith- 
ful servants of Jesus Christ. Julian was wholly 
possessed by a bitter and malign hatred for Jesus 
Christ, the Son of God ; that Satanic hate has been 
the perpetual heirloom and the mark of all the 
later apostates who have adopted and carried out 
his policy ; it is unquestionably the moving princi- 
ple of the present persecution against God and 
His Church. On what other supposition can we 
account for the wondrous consistency of those 
who raise one hand to swear sincere devotion to 
the Church, while with the other they subsidize 
and crown the writer of an infamous romance 
against the divinity of the Incarnate Word ? How 
else shall we reconcile the fair speeches and pro- 
fessions made fo the prelates of the Church and 
to its Supreme Pontiff, by the very men who 
esteem no honor too great for the heart of a vile 
blasphemer of the Son of God? How else can we 
explain the expression of great respect and loyalty 
towards the Church, inserted in the first article of 
a National Constitution, while its framers openly 
allow the most Holy Name of Jesus Christ to be 
publicly outraged in the capital of the Christian 
world, and under the very eyes of Christ’s Vicar 
upon earth. What measure of honesty or sin- 
cerity can we accord to the guarantees which have 
been so ostentatiously paraded before the eyes of 
the world, promising that full liberty shall be 
secured to the Church for the free administration 
of her internal government and the integrity of her 


326 


Tigranes. 


prerogatives, while she is fettered and trammelled 
at every step by the obligation of military service 
enforced on her ecclesiastical students, by the sup- 
pression of religious Orders, by a hundred other 
vexatious enactments to which the Spouse of 
Christ is daily subjected? No! the explanation 
of such glaring inconsistency, of such odious hy- 
pocrisy, is not to be sought in the specious pretext 
of National Unity, of the establishmenW)f one or 
another form of government, in the interests of 
human progress — but in the fixed purpose of 
waging a deadly war against Jesus Christ, a pur- 
pose instigated by a Satanic hatred of His holy law 
and of His divine Person. Not the establishment 
of liberty, but of pagan license, is the object of the 
leaders of the present movement against the 
Church, so faithfully seconded by the Secret Socie- 
ties and by the Governments which they have 
entangled in their infernal nets. 

But to return to Julian. 

As the time drew near for the opening of the 
Persian war, the Apostate used every endeavor to 
propitiate the heathen divinities by fresh acts of 
cruelty against the Christians and by new outrages 
against the Person of the Incarnate Word. Of all 
the duties imposed by the Son of God upon His 
Church, none perhaps is dearer to His divine Heart 
than the careful training of Christian youth. Suf- 
fer the little children to come unto me,” is His own 
divine injunction. Certain it is that the Church 
has in nothing displayed greater love and solici- 


Satanic Hate. 


327 


tude, than in the intellectual and spiritual culture 
of the younglings of the fold. But Julian had cast 
a hungry eye upon this chosen portion of the flock, 
just as his later imitators have always shown and 
do still show a special appetite for the same prey. 

On one and the same morning, in Antioch, in 
Alexandria, in Constantinople, in Athens and in 
Rome, the attention of the people was attracted 
by the appearance of an imperial edict posted up 
in the usual public places. They crowded to the 
spot to learn the new orders of the Emperor. 

“ What is the news ?” asked one of another. 

That the Christians shall no longer be allowed 
to teach unless they deny their faith.’^ 

** And why?” was the natural inquiry. 

‘‘Why? It is very plain. Because we are 
entering upon an age of true freedom/’ 

“ What a reason !” 

“Impossible !” 

“Then read for yourself.” 

And each one might indeed read for himself: 

“Julian Pious Felix Augustus, &c., &c. Whoso- 
ever holds a certain opinion and teaches the reverse 
to his pupils, is guilty of treason both against 
science and honesty. Now, they who profess to 
teach any science must, first of all, be honest men, 
that is to say, they must not, hypocritically, hold 
any sentiments or opinions contrary to those of 
the whole people ; this is especially true of those 
whose office it is to teach the young and to ex- 
plain the ancient authors, whether in the schools 


328 Tigranes. 

of grammar, of rhetoric, or of philosophy. The 
professors of the latter science in particular, are 
too often ambitious not only to teach the graces 
of style and diction, but even to discuss manners 
and morals, and to set up as masters of political 
economy. Whether such claims are tenable or 
not, we shall not now undertake to decide ; we 
are disposed to commend those who advocate 
teachings so important, we would even bestow 
upon them the highest praise, did they not stultify 
themselves by teaching doctrines very different 
from those which they really hold. Did not 
Homer, Hesiod, Demosthenes, -Thucydides, Iso- 
crates, and Lycias draw all their inspirations from 
the gods ? Did they not always hold that they 
were under the special patronage and protection 
of Mercury and of the Muses? It is, therefore, 
manifestly inconsistent that they who explain these 
great writers should dishonor the gods whom they 
honored. And yet, though we deem such a course 
very absurd in itself, we shall not oblige them to 
change their views or their manner of teaching. 
We shall only offer them the choice either to 
resign their position as teachers of the classical 
writings which they consider pernicious, or, if they 
still prefer to hold their chairs, to begin by recant- 
ing at once, and for the future to teach their 
hearers that Homer, Hesiod, and the other writers 
mentioned, are not impious, foolish and supersti- 
tious, in point of religion, as they have hitherto 
asserted. If such teachers continue to hold their 


Satanic Hate. 


329 


lucrative positions, teaching doctrines which in 
their hearts they repudiate, it is clear that they 
can do so only from the basest love of gain. 

“ Under the preceding administrations, many 
might well have been deterred by the fear of penal- 
ties or losses from appearing in the temples and 
showing their fidelity to the true doctrine con- 
cerning the gods ; but now that the gods have 
given us freedom, there does not seem to be any 
further reason why any one should teach what he 
holds to be false and pernicious. Therefore, if 
such persons believe that the authors they have 
undertaken to explain were truly wise men, let 
them first of all imitate the piety of those writers 
towards the gods; but if they consider them to 
have been foolish and vainly superstitious in wor- 
shipping the most holy gods, let them lay aside 
those authors and go to their churches to expound 
Luke and Matthew, who will teach them to fly 
from our shrines. As for me, I desire that your 
ears and your tongues be rebaptized (as you 
would say) in the Grecian doctrines. Let this 
henceforth be held as a universal law, binding all 
teachers and instructors. 

“ Students shall be free to hear what teachers 
they choose; for it would be a crying injustice 
that youths without any experience to guide and 
protect them, should be dragged out of the right 
path and forced to adopt the belief of their parents. 
We might, in justice, use force to bring these 
parents themselves to a right understanding, as 


330 


Tigranes, 

madmen are forcibly seized ancT confined for treat- 
ment ; but it seems good to us to leave every 
one free to play the fool as he pleases. Such igno- 
rance needs to be cured in the school, not in the 
prison.** 

This proclamation fell upon the Christians like 
a thunderbolt “Then we must either cease to 
teach, or apostatize,** they cried. 

“What!’* exclaimed the Christian parent, “shall 
I no longer be able to have a Christian teacher for 
my son ? So I must bring him up either a dunce 
or an idolater 1 ’* 

Said another : “ If my boy takes it into his head 
to go to hear one of those blasphemers, I must 
quietly let him be ruined I I am no longer his 
father I What a refinement of cruelty 1 To attack 
us even in the sanctuary of the family circle, and 
poison the child in the very arms of the parent !’* 
“Yes!’* added a third, “ and meanwhile impiety 
lords it over us, reigns in the university chairs, 
and we must be silent or deny the faith !** 

“And worst of all,** interposed another, “this I 
odious tyranny is crushing us in the name of | 
liberty. Had the tyrant openly proclaimed his | 
purpose of oppressing the Christians and perse- | 
cuting the Church, it would have been at least j 
honest. But no ; he persecutes in the name of I 
liberty — ' The gods have given us liberty !* — there- [ 
fore we shall gag every one who refuses to sing 
the praises of the gods ! ** 

“And that sensible injunction,’* added another. 


Satanic Hate, 331 

'‘to think with the nation! But who or what is 
the nation? Is it not you and I, and all of us? 
We Christians are, in the nation, ten to one; but 
that signifies nothing; he and his satellites are 
devil worshippers, therefore the nation must wor- 
ship the devil, and any one who refuses to fell 
down and adore, is forthwith branded as a dan- 
gerous citizen, unfit to teach the young.” 

“ It is false 1 — Hypocrite 1 — Apostate 1 — Tyrant 1” 
were the cries now heard in all directions. 

Even the pagans, when they met in priv^ate, 
confessed themselves ashamed of their master’s 
unwarrantable proceeding, and expressed their 
anxiety lest the honor of Julian might suffer 
serious damage if it should be recorded in history 
that the restorer of their worship, amid all his 
professions of securing universal freedom, had 
unscrupulously trampled upon the most sacred 
rights of the family. More bold and outspoken 
was the protest of the Christian philosophers, who 
knew better, because they felt more deeply the 
deadly effects that must result from such a blow. 
The two illustrious friends, Basil and Gregory, 
found no words to express the anguish and indig- 
nation which overwhelmed their souls when the 
tidings of this proclamation came to them in their 
distant retreat. The voice of their indignant sor- 
row was soon heard abroad. , “ Do they dare, 
then,” cried the great-hearted Basil, “ to say that 
we shall not give a Christian education to the sons 
of Christians! No, it shall not be! We shall 


332 Tigranes. 

teach letters to those who seek our teaching. 
Science and letters, poetry and eloquence, are a 
gift of God, not a boon of the Emperor! Even 
the aesthetic beauties of pagan writers are ours, 
and not his, as he repeats every day. They are 
ours, because they are of God, and not all his 
satellites will ever succeed in wresting that treasure 
from our grasp. It is the height of folly to con- 
found the literary study of pagan authors with the 
study of pagan theology. As if we could not relish 
a beautiful passage in Homer without consequently 
burning incense to Jupiter! It is a blunder in 
logic, disgraceful, if you will, in an imperial diplo- 
matist, puerile, ridiculous; but with the unedu- 
cated it will tell. I know that some simple priests 
have well nigh been taken in by the trick, and 
were perhaps ready to thank Augustus for taking 
from us the pernicious writings of the ancients, 
and limiting us to the ascetic style of the Bible and 
of Christian books of devotion. These good men 
would thus too well second the treacherous 
measures of Julian the Apostate, in the belief 
that they are doing good service to the Church 
of Jesus Christ.’' 

‘‘ It is well for us,” cried Gregory, ** that these 
good souls are not bishops; they would give us 
priests well supplied, indeed, with beautiful lessons 
from the Sacred Volume, but hopelessly incom- 
petent to make them practically useful. These 
simple-minded men do not seem to understand 
that a polished and powerful diction is one of our 


Satanic Hate. 


333 


most effective weapons in fighting the battles of 
the Lord; now in the writings of the ancients we 
find a pure, powerful and luminous style; in the 
ancients, we find true eloquence. Not without 
good reason, truly, does Julian strive to wrest this 
weapon from us, and with equally good reason 
does this decree wring from the whole Church a 
cry of bitter anguish. 

“To say nothing of the obvious fact that not 
every word of the ancients is a blasphemy against 
Christ our Lord, I feel that I may claim to have 
found many literary and intellectual treasures in 
their writings ; and this I do not hesitate to declare 
to young students. Where would be our schools 
of oratory had we never studied the eloquence of 
that Demosthenes,, of that iLschines, whom Julian 
would snatch from our grasp ? Away, then, with 
such sophistry ! This threatening storm will soon 
pass over, and it will be found to have been a vain 
attempt. It behooves us now to send up our sighs 
and prayers to God. Yes, to sigh, indeed, but like- 
wise to do battle manfully,’* continued the intrepid 
bishop. ‘‘ Already, faithless apostate, have you 
won titles enough to the hatred of the whole 
human race; but now the measure is full. You 
are bringing upon yourself now the indignation 
of all who love the splendor of sacred literature; 
and I am proud to say that I reckon myself among 
them. I have cast away from me rank and wealth, 
glory and power, and all the empty dreams of 
worldlings; and I have never regretted the step. 


334 


Tigi^anes. 

But the charms and the wealth of literature I still 
cling to, and these treasures alone, after those of 
heaven, I love and cherish. They are my joy; 
and I do not lament the care and the toil, and the 
journeyings by sea and land, through which I have 
labored to acquire them. And now, at what result 
do you hope to arrive by this senseless and brutal 
decree? Do you intend to show that all the learn- 
ing of the Greeks belongs to you, because, forsooth, 
the heathens praised their gods in Greek? On this 
principle you have an exclusive claim to all the 
arts ; the old painters gave a new life in their 
works to the Grecian fables ; their sculptors fash- 
ioned idols, and their archite_cts reared temples for 
them. So, then, we have no claim to any of the 
fine arts; we are hopelessly shut out from the pale 
of civilization!’' 

“ But, after all, why all this fear and apprehen- 
sion?” asked Basil. “Such extreme measures are 
always self-destroying !” 

“I have no apprehension about the final result,’' 
answered Gregory. “ But I must protest to the 
end against the iniquitous decree. We shall, at 
least, show him that we have enough eloquence 
left to blast injustice even on the throne. I shall 
denounce him fearlessly, and may the voice of my 
indignation be a pleasing sacrifice to the outraged 
majesty of the word of God !’' 

“ But who will give ear to your words in these 
days of injustice and oppression?” 

“I care not; I must speak. I cannot longer stifle 


Saianic Hate. 


335 


the voice of outraged justice. It will not be shut 
up in my breast, but it struggles to break forth, 
and to cry ott in Christian homes, in the high- 
ways, and the temples.*' 

“ And what do you hope to do then ?’* 

‘‘Do? Let us join hands, and together we will 
build him a monument which shall dwarf the pillars 
of Hercules ; but it shall be a monument of infamy, 
a monument of deathless shame — not rooted to the 
soil, here in our unknown retreat, but a living, a 
moving thing, which shall go out among the 
nations of the world, and stand up in the sight 
of coming generations, forever, to proclaim the 
disgrace of the enemy of Jesus Christ!”* 

And these two holy friends did rear that monu- 
ment to the eternal infamy of Julian. The Dis- 

* Socrates, in his Church History, Vol. III. 16, p. 420, men- 
tions these objections brought against the teachings of the clas- 
sics in Christian schools, on the occasion of this edict of Julian’s. 
It is worth while to note here that the modern assailants of the 
classics can lay no claim to the merit of originality. They 
should read the refutations of those objections in the writings, 
not only of Socrates, but also of St. Amphilochius, SS. Jerome, 
Augustin, Basil, and Gregory Nazianzen. It was impossible for 
us to quote all these writers at length, but we may state that 
what we do give from SS. Bas’d and Gregory, on the study of 
the Pagan classics, will be found, sometimes in the same words, 
always in substance, in their extant works. We may refer the 
reader to St. Basil’s Treatise on the Study of Profane Authors^ 
and the two Discourses against Julian, which are reckoned 
among the writings of St. Gregory Nazianzen, though it seems 
probable that they were the joint work of those two incompar- 
able friends. 


336 Tigran es. 

courses of Gregory, which their illustrious author 
fitly styled pillars, still live, and will continue to 
live as long as zeal for religious truth and abhor- 
rence for unscrupulous persecution find a home in 
the hearts of men. Yet, while the courses of this 
noble structure were rising slowly and silently, in 
the desert shades of Ibora, the despotic decree of 
the crafty persecutor was working in the Roman 
world ; and amid the grief and indignation of their 
devoted hearers, the most illustrious professors 
bade farewell to the schools. So Apollinaris took 
leave of his chair at Laodicea; and so in Athens, 
did Proeresius, who had been hailed as the king 
of oratory ; so at Rome was hushed the eloquent 
voice of the illustrious Victorinus, and, in a hun- 
dred other schools, the voices of the great Chris- 
tian teachers were silenced for a time. 

Tigranes could see with his own eyes the mourn- 
ing thus brought upon the flourishing schools of 
Alexandria ; he heard the cries of grief which came 
from Greece and Italy, and he wept over the mis- 
fortune of Victorinus, who had been his fellow- 
catechumen in Rome. Greater even was his in- 
dignation at the blow which fell upon Proeresius, 
who had been the admired and beloved teacher of 
himself and of Julian, in Athens. But the Empe- 
ror, having rebelled against his God, was deaf to 
the voice alike of justice and of gratitude; his only 
purpose now was to rivet closer, day by day, the 
chains in which he flattered himself that he had 
already bound the Church of Christ; he looked 


Saiaflic Hate. 


337 


forward eagerly to the close of the Persian cam- 
paign, when he hoped to give the death-blow to 
that Church, the object of his undying hate. The 
leaders of the Pagan sects were ever at his side, 
watchful and active, to seize every new occasion ; 
they were always ready with favorable signs from 
the gods, with omens of success for the war, to 
which their divinities had already promised a 
brilliant completion; they already exulted with 
malignant joy as they looked forward to the time 
when Augustus, returning in triumph, should 
throw off the mask of toleration, and openly wield 
the sword of persecution. 

The imperial apostate had persecuted the faith- 
ful, plundered their churches, hunted their pastors 
to the death, and handed over the Christian youth 
to the corrupting influences of pagan teaching ; 
but yet it seemed to him that he had not done 
enough to win the support of the gods in his pro- 
posed expedition ; he would give one more proof 
to the world of his hatred for the God-Man. He 
was persuaded that if he could bring together in 
Jerusalem the scattered remnants of the deicide 
nation, stir up to new life their hatred against the 
God of the Christians, and thus establish a power- 
ful centre of sworn foes to the Christian name, he 
would have made a great strategic move, and that 
the treasures of the empire would be well bestowed 
in carrying out such a plan, even on the eve of a 
great campaign. The difficulty did indeed present 
itself to his mind that the Jews were not worship- 


338 


Tigrancs, 


pers of his gods. ‘'No matter,” thought he, “they 
hate Jesus Christ, and that is all that I need. I 
shall be satisfied if I can but conquer the Galilean 
on Calvary and heap disgrace upon his sepulchre. 
He has said that the Jewish temple shall never be 
rebuilt; that not a stone shall be left upon a stone. 
I, Julian, shall once more set the stones of that 
temple one upon another, and I shall write upon 
its front, ‘Thus Julian gives the lie to the Gali- 
lean.* ” And a smile of satanic malignity passed 
over his countenance as he contemplated in fancy 
the realization of his blasphemous boast. 

This purpose had now taken so firm a hold upon 
Julian that he could not rest until he should see 
it in a fair way of completion ; accordingly for 
some time the military preparations, which had 
been pushed on with so much activity, were made 
to give place to the more important work of the 
discomfiture of Christ; secretaries were kept busy 
dispatching letters to all the leading men of the 
Jewish nation, urging them to spread in all direc- 
tions among their people the pious design of Au- 
gustus, to rouse them to a sense of the greatness 
of the enterprise, to raise means for carrying it out, 
to come and possess once more their dispeopled 
country, which was opening its arms to receive 
them. For three centuries no kindly voice had 
sounded in the ears of these unhappy wanderers, 
save that of the Church of Christ, which they 
would not hear ; and they could hardly believe 
their eyes when they read the letters of the Roman 


Satanic Hate, 


339 


Emperor, filled with words of pity, of affection, and 
even of praise. “Augustus,’' they said, “calls us 
Brothers; he bids us raise again the walls of Sion 
and restore the ruined temple ! Long live our 
second Cyrus ! Where is the second Zorobabel 
to lead forth rescued Israel from bondage?” Some 
of the more cautious and observant of those who 
were favored with the imperial notice, did indeed 
detect the hidden aims of the apostate, and knew 
that in their nation he loved only the crucifiers of 
Christ ; none the less, however, they took an active 
part in the great movement which was now bear- 
ing on the hopeful children of Israel towards Jeru- 
salem, and joined in the loud threats of coming 
vengeance which now assailed the Christians 
wherever the bands of Jewish pilgrims passed. 

From the four winds of heaven they came to the 
land of their fathers. From Phoenicia, from Egypt, 
from the depths of Asia and from distant Spain 
they crowded into the ports of Joppa, of Ascalon 
and Gaza, bringing with them all their worldly 
substance ; they poured in through the gates of 
the Holy City, day and night, families, tribes, 
nations, without number. And when their eyes 
beheld once more the long-desired land of the 
their fathers, they burst into tears of joy, they 
threw themselves upon the ground and kissed it 
with reverence, they covered their heads with the 
dust of its consecrated streets, and rose up wild 
with frantic zeal and enthusiasm. The walls of 
the city were too narrow to hold the multitudes 


340 


Tigranes. 


which choked its gates ; the neighboring hills 
were white with the tents of the hopeful but mis- 
guided people. The valleys of Gehenna and 
Jehoshaphat were repeopled ; their encampments 
stretched along the banks of Cedron to the Mount 
of Scandal, and some of the more ardent even 
dared to raise their tents upon the slopes of Gol- 
gotha, on the very height where that awful deed 
was done which brought the everlasting curse 
upon their guilty race. 

The consternation of the Christians was in sad 
contrast with the confident exultation of the Jews ; 
but they were comforted and strengthened by 
Cyril, the holy bishop of Jerusalem, who foretold 
that the whole undertaking would result in the 
discomfiture of its author. “ Let them tear down,'* 
said the saintly prelate, ‘Gt is fitting that the fulfil- 
ment of the divine prophecies should be brought 
about by the very hands of God’s enemies. There 
are still some broken pillars standing; some stones 
still hold together; and now the Lord has sent 
them blindfolded here to tear down, to break 
asunder everything and to grind to powder the 
last fragments of the doomed fabric. I bless the 
hands that work out the ends of the Almighty.” 
The prophecy was soon verified. The most en- 
couraging success w^aited on every movement of 
the misguided workers so long as they continued 
to tear down, to level and destroy ; but no sooner 
did they set about laying new foundations and 
raising the courses of the intended trophy, than 


Satanic Hate. 


341 


heaven and earth seemed to league their powers 
to blast the unholy hopes of human folly. The 
winds of heaven scattered and bore away the ma- 
terials which had been piled in great heaps upon 
the ground ; torrents of water burst forth from the 
bowels of the earth and filled the deep pits which 
had been dug to receive the new foundations. 
With the obstinate energy of desperation the work- 
men returned to their task and dug deeper and 
broader; then a mysterious fire broke out from 
the depths of the excavations, accompanied by 
deep rumblings and thundering reports which ter- 
rified the boldest ; their tools fell from their hands 
and their souls were filled with an irresistible 
dread. They strove to fly before these fearful 
warnings of the wrath of God, but in vain ; balls 
of fire broke forth from the earth, quickly overtook 
their flying victims and wrapped them in flames. 
But few of them escaped. It was pitiful to see the 
terror-stricken people rushing to the scene of de- 
struction, casting themselves upon the earth with 
cries and tears, calling upon heaven to spare them, 
and hoping for better success on the morrow. 
The more hardened among them, after waiting a 
few days till the first impressions produced by 
such a scene had grown w^eaker, banded to- 
gether, swore to carry out their purpose or to 
die in the attempt, and again set to work. But 
they had hardly taken up their tools when a 
fearful rumbling was heard under their feet, and 
in an instant devouring flames had consumed the 


342 


Tigranes. 

workmen and their implements. Still so desperate 
was their blindness and obstinacy, that they would 
not even yet desist But at last men were no 
longer found to brave the manifest anger of heaven, 
and they were forced to give over. And now, day 
and night, a dark cloud hovered over the accursed 
spot, continual quakings of the earth forbade all 
approach, and flames of fire streaming upward 
utfceasingly, cast a lurid glare upon the scene, 
especially when their baleful light was shed upon 
the darkness of the night From time to time 
tufts of fire, as from unseen torches, suddenly rose 
from the earth or seemed to form in mid-air, and, 
as if borne by some invisible hand, wandered 
through the streets of the city, hovered over the 
dwellings, and everywhere left imprinted the sign 
of the cross, to the confusion of the enemies of the 
holy symbol. 

In spite of all these multiplied and mysterious 
warnings, that stiff-necked people for several months 
persevered in the hope of conquering or appeasing 
the wrath of heaven ; but at last they were forced 
to acknowledge that the attempt could not prosper, 
and that their obstinacy could but prove fatal to 
those who persisted. Already had countless trea- 
sure, public and private, been sunk in the work, 
many lives sacrificed, and yet not a stone had been 
set upon a stone. Excessive boldness gave way 
to despondency, which soon grew into desperate 
and general consternation. The terrified and dis- 


Satanic Hate. 


343 

comfited Jews were soon flying from the city in 
all directions. 

The director of the works thus abruptly broken 
off, was Alipius, a famous architect of Antioch, 
and in great favor with Julian; accordingly it w^as 
thought best that he should bear to the Emperor 
the tidings of their ignominious failure. More 
impious even than the very Jews, the Apostate 
shut his eyes to the light thus offered to him once 
more ; he would not yield ; he managed even to 
hide whatever emotion the announcement might 
have awakened in his soul. With blasphemous 
oaths, he swore to resume the undertaking on his 
return from the war in Persia. It was his highest 
ambition to enter in triumph the native land of 
Jesus Christ, there, over the Sacred Sepulchre, to 
make a league with the crucifiers of the Redeemer, 
and thence to carry on his great war to the death 
against the Christian world. But he could not 
stifle the voice of many-tongued rumor which had 
already carried to the four corners of the empire 
the report of what had happened in Jerusalem ; 
and whilst the Emperor was on his march towards 
the boundaries of Persia, the ill-starred children 
of Israel who had escaped the fate of their fellow- 
countrymen, were hurrying back dismayed into 
the various cities from which they had gone out 
so full of sanguine hope and jubilant expectation. 
Everywhere they bore the tale of their defeat in 
the expression of hopeless despair and deep shame 
which had settled upon their countenances ; every- 


344 


Tigranes. 


where their cries of grief and mourning were heard 
over their lost treasures, their doomed relatives 
and friends who had fallen in the mad undertaking; 
and loud were the curses they heaped upon the 
Emperor, whom they charged with all their woes. 
Some, indeed, did but harden their hearts the 
more in the rage of disappointment, while others 
gave themselves up to the worship of idols, fancy- 
ing that thus they would best revenge themselves 
for the abandonment to which they seemed to be 
consigned by the Jehovah of their fathers. Many, 
however, were awakened to a better sense, and 
threw themselves at the feet of the bishops, ac- 
knowledging their errors, and asking for the bap- 
tism of Him whom their nation had crucified, but 
who had just given such tremendous proofs that 
He was still living and reigning with resistless 
might. 

Such were the deeds with which Julian preluded 
the Persian campaign, undertaken with bright 
hopes of a speedy triumph soon to be followed 
by the execution of his cherished purpose — the 
utter annihilation of Christianity. And it was his 
design to effect this purpose, not by means of the 
worn- out lies and hypocritical professions of which 
he had made such frequent use before, but openly 
and mercilessly. But God had decreed otherwise. 


XXIV. 


*'thou hast conquered, Galilean!*’ 




<^/[ULIAN entered upon the Persian campaign 
with the most sanguine hopes of success. 
The finest fleet the all-conquering Roman 
Empire had ever fitted out, was sailing up 
the Tigris, well manned and abundantly furnished 
with all the necessaries of war, commanded by 
brave and skilful officers, and at the most favorable 
season. But the chief ground of his hope was the 
positive assurance of a coming triumph received 
from the oracles of the gods ; and to insure a con- 
tinuance of their good-will and protection, Julian 
continued regularly to celebrate their rites during 
the whole time of his march. Indeed the tribunes 
and veteran officers were far less often consulted 
about the disposition and movements of the army 
than the magicians, soothsayers and sacrificers by 
whom he was always surrounded. This very prac- 
tice of consulting and worshipping the demons was 
the trap in which the Apostate yv'as to be caught. 
Several Persian refugees who had come to the 
camp of Julian, began to suggest that the fleet 
would be rather a hinderance than a help to the 

345 


346 Tigranes, 

army; Julian at once summoned his magicians 
and philosophers to advise him in the matter. 
They found that the opinion was very correct, and 
that the gods would have the fleet destroyed by 
fire, which was accordingly done, much to the 
discouragement of the legions and against the loud 
protests of the oldest officers, who made no secret 
of their indignation at this exhibition of supersti- 
tious folly. Sapor, having by this trick secured 
the destruction of the Roman fleet, managed next, 
by a series of feigned attacks and retreats, to draw 
their army into the heart of Persia, to the very 
gates of Ctesiphon. Julian considered each step 
thus made by the invading army as a real victory, 
and his dispatches bore to the cities of the empire 
tidings of the most glorious success. Alexandria, 
Antioch, *and the other great cities would once 
have rejoiced to hear such news from one of their 
armies on foreign soil, but now it brought them 
terror and anxious apprehension rather. Such was 
the state of things until the morning of the twenty- 
third of June, when Julian awoke to find himself in 
the presence of a large force of Persian troops, 
provided with a great number of scythed chariots 
and protected by many towers filled with archers 
and drawn by oxen or borne upon the backs of 
huge elephants. 

One of the officers of Jovian, Julian’s successor, 
thus described the engagement : 

‘'The Persians rushed forward, according to 
their custom, yelling furiously, and brandishing 


Thou Hast Conqueredy Galilean. 347 

their scimetars high over their heads. The earth 
shook beneath the tread of their solid phalanx as 
they advanced upon us, but we did not fear. 
Against their fiery charge our ranks stood firm, 
presenting an unbroken hedge of pikes and spear- 
points to the advancing foe ; and as they fearlessly 
rushed upon the bristling line, we did our best to 
press home our weapons through the links and 
scales of their armor. We knew that it would 
have been all up with us had they succeeded in 
breaking our line at any point, for then they would 
have cut their way into the heart of our army, and 
thrown us into irremediable confusion. But the 
very danger made us all the bolder, and when, at 
last, the trumpet sounded the charge, we leaped 
forward with wild enthusiasm over the wall of dead 
and dying that lay along our line, and rushed 
madly into the enemy’s ranks, foot and horse in 
one confused mass. We had the advantage of 
being lighter than our foes; when once they had 
been borne down, their heavy armor hindered 
them from rising in time to ,save themselves from 
the stroke of death. After a short and sharp 
encounter they began to give way, but we were 
held back from following them up by our tribunes, 
who saw that we should have enough to do to 
defend our comparatively small army against the 
numerous bodies of cavalry hovering about our 
flanks, ready to take advantage of the first break 
and to charge us at a disadvantage. 

“This force repulsed, we had hardly time to 


t 


348 Tigranes, 

take breath when we were called to meet another 
attack. The main body of the Persian army was 
still untouched, and now, on the ground from 
which the broken lines of infantry had just been 
driven, appeared a new and more formidable 
enemy. A long line of huge elephants was moving 
up to the charge, accompanied and supported by 
those wheeled towers, more than fifteen feet high, 
and manned by bowmen well supplied with arrows. 
The elephants too, carried little towers on their 
backs, and these were likewise filled with picked 
archers. But worse than the archers and their 
darts was the mere sight of the elephants them- 
selves, for it is one which always strikes terror into 
our horses. Down upon us came the huge beasts, 
wild with the excitement of the scene and the 
strong wine which had been given to them before 
the battle, beating the air with their trunks and 
uttering loud cries, more fatal to us than even the 
blows of their trunks; for although our horses 
were evidently terrified at the sight of these mon- 
sters, as they showed by their flashing eyes and 
distended nostrils, champing their bits and pawing 
the ground nervously, still, they were under the 
control of their riders; but when they heard the 
horrid bellowing, they reared and plunged in 
uncontrollable terror, threw their riders, or bore 
them away in helpless panic, breaking our line and 
throwing everything into confusion wherever they 
passed. 

‘‘Julian was a good soldier, it must be acknow- 


Thou Hast Conquered, Galilean. 349 

ledged; his eye took in the whole scene, and he 
saw, at a glance, the danger of imminent defeat 
which threatened his army. He at once ordered 
all the mounted men and officers in the rear, whose 
horses had not yet become unmanageable, to dis- 
mount ; then, surrounded by a slight body-guard, 
he took his station on foot in the first ranks. We 
were desperate now, and men of all arms pressed 
close together, determined to meet the charge 
without flinching. Meanwhile, our engines of war 
had been plied against the elephants and the 
towers, as if against the walls of a besieged town ; 
catapults and ballistas were not idle, but the most 
effective work was done when we came to close 
quarters; then we cut the harness of the oxen that 
drew the towers, though even when the oxen were 
killed or unharnessed and the towers stopped in 
their course, they still defied our assaults, and 
rained on us a shower of darts and arrows. One 
great object with us was to bring down the ele- 
phants; we attacked them with the points of our 
swords and spears, avoiding, by great activity, 
the strokes of their trunks; some contrived to run 
a weapon into their bowels, or their eyes, or to cut 
the tendons of their legs ; in this way many were 
brought down, and the archers on their backs were 
received on the points of the same weapons which 
had caused their fall. Some of the poor brutes, 
maddened by the wounds they were receiving 
from all sides, seized their own drivers and hurled 
them into our ranks ; many became utterly unman- 


350 Tigranes. 

ageable and fled from the field, breaking through 
and crushing down the ranks of the Persians. 
Our men, seeing that the tide of battle was setting 
against the enemy, pushed their advantage with 
renewed energy, and the Persians, better fitted by 
nature for an impetuous charge than for endurance 
at close quarters, began to give way on all sides. 
The disorder of the main body threw their wings, 
consisting of cavalry and scythed chariots, into a 
panic, and instead of closing in on our flanks, as they 
might have done, they joined in the general flight. 

“Amid the wavering fortunes of the fight, Julian 
had skilfully guided all the movements of his army 
in person, though, having rushed upon the field in 
the hurry of the first attack, he was without any 
armor. When he saw the whole Persian force in 
full retreat, he ordered his cavalry to mount their 
horses once more, and quickly to charge the flying 
foe. In a moment he was in the saddle, fo’lowed 
by the eager squadrons. In vain did Sallust, 
Anatolius, our present Emperor Jovian, and all 
the officers entreat him to wait until his breast- 
plate could be brought, or at least to let his body- 
guard surround him ; he would not hear them, but 
spurred on amid the foremost of the pursuers. It 
seemed as if the wrath of God was hurrying him 
on to his doom. All of us who belonged to the 
Pretorian Guard followed close to his person. We 
swept like a tempest over the field, Julian leaning 
forward over his horse’s mane, and waving his 
sword to urge us on. Suddenly we saw him 


Thou Hast Conquered^ Galilean. 351 

throw up his arms and fall backward from his 
steed; mindless of the enemy now, and of the 
excitement which had possessed us, we sprang 
from our horses, and gathered around our fallen 
chief He was lying on his back, writhing with 
pain, and striving to draw out the point of a dart 
which had snapped off close to the head. But the 
weapon was too deeply fixed in his side; then look- 
ing for a moment at the stream of warm blood as it 
flowed upon the ground, he gave way to a parox- 
ysm of rage in the* very face of death, and filling 
the hollow of his hand with his own blood, he 
threw it up towards heaven, with the bitter cry: 
‘Thou hast conquered, Galilean; O, Sun, thou hast 
betrayed me !’ Then for a moment he gasped for 
breath, his eyes became fixed and glassy, and he 
lay in our arms a lifeless corpse.'' 

Though in the days of Julian there were neither 
railways nor electric telegraphs, yet the tidings of 
his death flew from one end of the empire to the 
other with the speed of lightning. It seemed 
almost as if mysterious voices in the air spread 
abroad the news with a swiftness beyond that of 
any. human agent; or as if the angel of death, 
when he had struck down the persecutor, straight- 
way had winged his flight across the earth to tell 
the persecuted that they were free. However it 
may be accounted for, certain it is that before any 
messenger came from the East, vague rumors of 
Julian’s wretched fate were already abroad; some 
were telling of dark dreams which seemed to bode 


352 Tigranes. 

evil to the Emperor’s life, others were relating the 
prophecies of martyrs, from which they inferred 
that swift vengeance from Heaven was to overtake 
the persecutor at this time. In Alexandria, the 
aged Didymus, who was reckoned the deepest 
philosopher of the famous Christian schools of 
that city, was wearing himself out by fasting and 
weeping over the evils which had fallen upon the 
Church of Christ. One day it was remarked that 
he seemed even more weighed down by grief than 
usual ; he refused all nourishment, and towards 
evening, on retiring to pray, he was overcome by 
sleep. Suddenly, about eight o’clock, he sprang 
up from his knees and cried aloud: “Praise be to 
God, and joy to men! We may now cease our 
listing, and sing to the Lord!” 

“What is the matter; what has happened?” 
asked one of his disciples. 

“Tell Athanasius,” replied the old man, “ that 
the man of sin has perished.” 

But Athanasius was already informed of the 
event ; for, in the desert, to which he had retired 
during the days of persecution, he already knew 
that the same vision had been granted at the same 
time to several holy hermits. In Syria the holy 
solitary Sabbas had long been plunged in the 
deepest grief, and his disciples who had for some 
days observed that he neither ate, nor spoke, nor 
gave any token of being alive to any human wants, 
were astonished one morning to find him cheerful 
and smiling. 


Thou Hast Conquered^ Galilean. 353 

^‘Father Abbot/’ said a simple old Monk, '^why- 
are you so joyful? The Church is in mourning, 
and you are rejoicing.” 

Brother,” replied the holy old man, the wild 
boar that wasted the vineyard of the Lord has 
been wounded to death.” 

These words were borne from cell to cell 
through the whole district, and sighs and tears 
gave place to songs of praise. 

In Cappadocia it was currently reported among 
the people that the great Basil of Cesarea had seen, 
in a vision, the Martyr, Mercury, the patron of the 
province, smiting Julian in the side. As is usual 
in such cases, the vision was related with the most 
minute and marvellous details. It was said that 
while Basil was praying in the basilica of Cesarea, 
where he had spent the night in tears, suddenly 
he saw the heavens opened and Christ the Lord 
sitting enthroned amid the Saints to judge the 
world. The Saints presented many accusations 
against the Emperor; they complained of the 
wounds he had already inflicted on the Bride of 
the Lamb, and alleged that he had already appoin- 
ted a day on which he should exterminate the just 
and overthrow the kingdom of God upon earth. 
The divine Judge was filled with wrath and indig- 
nation, and sentenced the guilty Emperor to imme- 
diate death. ** Whom shall I send,” He asked, 
“ to execute the sentence ?” Our great Martyr, 
Mercury, who was standing before the Lord, clad 
in flaming armor, stood forth and said: ** Here I 


354 


Tigranes. 

am, Lord/’ And the Lord said to him: Go, and 
strike/' Mercury brandished his glittering lance 
and disappeared. In a moment he returned and 
stood before the face of the Lord and said : ‘‘ Lord, 
it is done." 

Those who related this vision asserted that Basil 
had himself made it known to the clergy who were 
then assembling to sing the Divine Office, but with 
the strictest injunction to secrecy; and that they 
all held it to be true. Whatever may be thought 
of the vision, we know that as soon as the tidings 
of Julian’s death reached him, Basil went to seek 
his friend Gregory, and together they prepared the 
last pages of the famotis Discourses which had no 
sooner been sent forth from the solitude in which 
they had been written, than they were transcribed 
by a thousand hands and published throughout all’ 
the Churches of the East. 

“Mine, mine, let it be," cried Gregory, ‘^to 
carve the epitaph on this monument !" 

“Dictate," replied Basil, “and I will write.” 

And to Gregory's dictation Basil wrote : 

“ Behold, O Julian, the work of those whom you 
reviled and trod under foot; this monument we 
leave you, we ‘the adorers of the Crucified;' we 
whom you styled ‘the disciples of rude fishermen,’ 
we who ‘sing psalms amid the assemblages of old 
women, emaciated and broken down by fasts,’ we 
who ‘spend our nights in foolish vigils;' and yet 
with all that we have been strong enough to over- 
come you. Let your Grammarians and Rhetori- 


Tho2i Hast Conquered^ Galilean. 355 

dans come forward now ! Whither have your 
crafty counsellors gone to hide their shame? 
What have your sacrifices, and initiations, and 
mysteries availed you? What return have you 
had for your victims offered up with public and 
with secret rites ? Wherein have you been bene- 
fited by the omens and auguries of which you 
boasted so loudly ? How is it now with that 
‘ Babylon,' nay, with the whole world, which you 
so fondly hoped, by means of your bloody offer- 
ings, to destroy forever? Where are the gods 
who were your guides and guardians on the field 
of battle? Do you remember now the oracles 
against the Christians, and - the fearful threats, and 
the day appointed to blot out the Christian name 
from the face of the earth? Your great designs 
have vanished in smoke, and your impious boasts 
have been realized only in your dreams. 

“We had indeed neither weapons, nor wall, nor 
bulwarks, nor armed legions ; we had naught but 
our firm hope in the God who ‘ swore against the 
pride of Jacob.*' And because we were unwarlike 
and unarmed, you had promised (will future gen- 
erations believe it ?) to offer us as victims on the 
altars of your demons ; and the great heritage of 
the Lord, 'the holy people and the royal priest- 
hood,' was destined as an acceptable offering to 
the Evil One, as the price and the palm of your 
hoped-for triumph. Was this the return you 


* Amos, viii. 7* 


356 Tigranes. 

would make to the Christians who, at their own 
great risk and peril, had saved your young life ?* 
Was this your act of homage to the Lord your 
God ? And then we turned to God with prayers 
and tears and mournful supplications ; and we 
cried unto Him : ^ O, God, why hast Thou cast us 
off unto the end ? Why is Thy wrath enkindled 
against the sheep of Thy pasture? Remember 
Thy congregation which Thou hast possessed from 
the beginning. * * * Lift up Thy hands against 
their pride unto the end ; see what things the 
enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. And 
they that hate Thee have made their boasts in the 
midst of Thy solemnity.'f Then we called upon 
the sword of the enemy and upon the plagues of 
Egypt to save us; and we bowed down before our 
God and besought Him to rise up and smite the 
workers of iniquity: ‘How long shall sinners, O 
Lord, how long shall sinners glory ? * * * Thy 
people, O Lord, they have brought low, and they 
have afflicted Thy inheritance:. Shall they utter 
and. speak iniquity: shall all speak who work 
injustice? * * * Thou hast made us to be a con- 
tradiction to our neighbors, and our enemies have 

* St. Gregory alluded to certain bishops and priests who had, 
by their united efforts, saved Julian from the bloody proscrip- 
tion of the family of Constantine. It was even said that one of 
these benefactors of the future Apostate, was Mark of Arethusa, 
whom Julian left to perish, in his old age, amid the most cruel 
torments. 

f Ps. Ixxiii. 1, 2. 


Thou Hast Conquered, Galilean. 357 

scoffed at us. * * * Thou hast made us outcasts 
and refuse in the midst of the people.'* 

‘^We reminded Him of His chosen vineyard 
which he had sanctified to Himself, and cultivated 
and hedged in, whereof the hedge was now broken 
down, so that all they who pass by the way, that 
is, false-hearted rulers, do pluck it, and the boar 
out of the wood hath laid it waste, who loved the 
mire of his own malice and wallowed in it with 
delight. Thus we cried uhto the Lord in those 
days of darkness and tribulation. How changed 
is our voice to-day! Now I weep over the ruin 
of the impious persecutor, and now I say of him: 
‘ How are they brought to desolation ! They have 
suddenly ceased to be ; they have perished by 
reason of their iniquity. * * * As the morning 
cloud and as the early dew that passeth away, as 
the dust that is driven with a whirlwind out of the 
floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.'f 
‘‘ Better for them had they turned from the error 
of their ways, from the frenzy of their wickedness ! 
Then, at least, the scourges of the Lord would 
have been profitable for them too. But the judg- 
ment of the Lord has fallen upon them, and we 
will sing the song of triumph: *The idol of Bel is 
cast down, Dagon is broken, Sharon is covered 
with mire, and Libanus with confusion.' " 

Such was the end of the wretched Julian. He 

* Ps. xciii. 3, 5; Ps. Ixxix. 7; Jer. Lament, iii, 45. 

f Ps. Ixxii. 19, 20 ; Osee, xiii. 3. 


358 Tigrmies. 

had set his hand to carry out a hundred plans, and 
not one had come to a happy end — the empire was 
not strengthened, nor the magistracy purified, nor 
studies bettered, nor the Court reformed, nor the 
Temple restored, nor paganism revived, nor the 
gods raised to their olden prominence ; the Per- 
sians were still unconquered, the Roman name and 
glory lost, and he had not won the applause he 
sought from the nations of the earth ; he left no 
lawful heir to hold his throne and preserve his 
name; not a glorious memory, not a tear of pity, 
nor a sigh of compassion attested his worth or 
proclaimed his loss. He had lived like an apos- 
tate; he died like one accursed. The world seemed 
to feel that it was rid of a public scourge, and 
breathed more freely. The monuments and tem- 
ples which had already begun to rise in his honor 
remained unfinished, and looked more like dismal 
ruins than like public buildings ; the costly tablets, 
with their adulatory inscriptions, and the statues 
designed to perpetuate his memory, were thrown, 
like worthless lumber, amid the dirt and rubbish ; 
the College of Augurs was disbanded, the priest- 
esses who had lived on the Court returned to their 
former occupations, even the philosophers, who had 
held their heads so high, now went to hide them- 
selves in remote towns and country places, some 
of them, after putting off the philosopher's cloak 
and shaving their beards, came in humble guise to 
seek the favor of the hated Galileans. Many of 
the heathens, terrified at this manifestation of 


Thou Hast Conquered^ Galilean. 359 

God’s sovereign power, acknowledged their defeat. 

Tell us not,” said one of them to the then youth- 
ful Jerome, that the God of the Christians is long- 
suffering and merciful. Too swift, too implacable 
is His vengeance.” 

Christianity once more rose up victorious through- 
out the empire, crowned with peaceful majesty 
and triumph, defying without pride and without 
fear the power and the craft of future Julians. 
Antioch, more than any other city, had felt the 
weight of Julian’s most fearful threats, and there 
it was natural that the joy and exultation at his 
defeat should find its loudest expression. The 
people thronged with joyful acclamations to the 
churches and the shrines of their martyrs, and 
while they greeted one another with shouts of joy 
and mutual congratulation, they chanted in glad- 
ness of heart canticles and hymns of praise to God, 
who had freed them from the tyrant's grasp and 
brought confusion upon those who had defied the 
power of God and of His Christ. 


XXV. 


FIFTY YEARS LATER. 


^IGRANES, on his return from Alexandria, 
where we left him last, had been summoned 
to attend the emperor, who was setting out 
for his fatal campaign in Persia. As they 
halted at Carrhae, Tigranes obtained a short leave 
of absence, and hastened to the home of his be- 
trothed. But instead of the joyful meeting which 
he anticipated, he found Thecla^s parents in tears 
and mourning. Their child had suddenly been 
snatched away from them by the imperial officers, 
and they had no hope of ever seeing her again 
alive. It will be remembered that the Apostate 
spared no pains to win the favor of the gods for 
this expedition. He sought counsel especially 
from the oracle of Diana, at Carrhae, and the 
priests of the goddess required that a certain 
number of young virgins should be offered in sac- 
rifice on her altar there. Among the victims seized 
and secretly conveyed to the temple of the idol, was 
the unhappy Theda, who had been for some time 
kept hidden in one of the cells in which the intended 
human victims were confined. When Tigranes 
learned the place of her concealment, he resolved 
360 


Fifty Years Later. 361 

at once to demand her release, trusting that Julian- 
would not disregard the petitions of one who had 
been so faithful in his service. But when a man has 
once forsworn his God and the vows of his bap- 
tism, it is not to be expected that he will be scru- 
pulous in his relations with men. Tigranes met 
the fate of those who have given their whole alle- 
giance to earthly masters. So long as he was 
useful to the emperor he was flattered and caressed; 
but in his hour of need he was cast off, and the 
rewards of his devoted zeal and active service were 
insult, rejection and imprisonment. 

The emperor met his petition with a harsh 
denial ; and when Tigranes refused to take part in 
an idolatrous consecration and to swear by the 
false gods, he was seized by the emperor’s orders 
and confined in the prison at Carrhae, to await his 
death sentence when Julian should return to cele- 
brate his triumph with fresh sacrifices to the god- 
dess of the moon. 

Tigranes found time for thought in his solitary 
imprisonment. His experience taught him how 
vain are earthly dreams of glory, and how frail 
the support of princely favor. He learnt the 
lesson which so many have learnt from disappoint- 
ment and misfortune, and offered himself wholly 
to God, asking only to die a Christian, if die he 
must, or to devote the rest of his life to the divine 
service, should his fate be other than he expected. 

Meanwhile Theda had discovered, through a 
Christian slave who attended her, that Tigranes 


362 


Tigranes. 

was in a prison near to her own. She contrived 
to communicate with him by means of the same 
faithful attendant; and with the connivance of the 
officer in charge of the temple, who was no friend 
of Julian or of the inhuman work over which he 
was forced to preside, the holy bishop Vitus was 
brought in, under cover of night, and Tigranes 
was regenerated in the saving waters of baptism. 
Theda was amply consoled for all her sufferings 
by this happy consummation of so many hopes 
and prayers; both awaited with joyful submission 
to the divine will, the return of the emperor, and 
the sentence which should perpetuate in heaven 
the union they had contracted on earth in their 
betrothal. The imperial mandate came indeed, 
but it was the order for their release. At the 
death of Julian, the legions had proclaimed Jovian 
emperor. The first care of the new Caesar, who 
had suffered for the faith at the hands of his apos- 
tate predecessor, was to issue an edict restoring 
the worship of the true God, and freeing all the 
Christians who were under sentence of exile or 
imprisonment. The same bishop Vitus, who had 
betrothed Tigranes and Theda, was now called 
upon to complete their union. The marriage cere- 
mony was celebrated with all the rites of the 
Church, in the presence of the happy parents and 
friends of Theda, who had mourned for her as for 
one lost, and of the emperor Jovian, who would 
pay this mark of friendship to his old friend and 
companion in arms. ^ 


3^3 


F'ifty Years Later. 

But Tigranes felt that in giving him her hand, 
Theda was discharging a debt of gratitude to the 
preserver of her life ; and he had learned from the 
letter which she had sent him during their impris- 
onment, that she had, from childhood, wished to 
devote herself entirely to God. The interior call 
which had come to himself, while in the dungeon 
at Carrhae, was still alive in his heart; and he felt 
that in this coincidence of desires and natural 
impulses. Providence was pointing out the course 
they were both to follow. He accordingly took 
occasion, when they returned from the church and 
were alone in the house of Theda’s parents, to 
open his mind and heart to his wife on the subject 

“Theda,” he asked, “do you remember the 
letter which was thrown into my cell at Carrhae ?” 

“When we were awaiting the sentence of death? 
Yes; I shall never forget those days.” 

“ Do you remember that you spoke of a crown 
that is reserved in Heaven for the brides of Jesus 
Christ ? ” 

“ Why do you ask me such a question ?” asked 
Theda, fearing that Tigranes might suspect that 
she had wished to withdraw from the engagement 
made in their betrothal. 

“ Tell me,” continued Tigranes, “ did that bright 
crown draw your heart to the desire of being 
yourself a bride of Jesus Christ?” 

“ But why, Tigranes, do you ask me this ?” per- 
sisted Theda, with an anxious look. 

“ Do not be troubled,” said Tigranes, affection- 


3^4 


Tigranes. 

ately, I wish you to open your heart to me now, 
and to tell me, frankly, whether you did really 
desire to wear that crown?’’ 

“ To tell you the truth, then,” answered Theda, 

** from my early childhood my heart had been set 
upon wearing that crown ; and to win it I should 
have been happy to die, either at Ctesiphon or at 
Carrhae. But when you saved my life and my 
honor, in Persia, I felt that a life-long debt of 
gratitude was put upon my conscience ; I began to 
desire, above all things, to see you a Christian — for 
that I lived and prayed. That was the state of my 
feelings towards you ; I say it freely, because you 
desire it. I declare, before God, who hears me, that 
I should have refused the hand of Augustus him- 
self ; but I did not feel at liberty to refuse yours, and 
I looked upon it as coming to me from God.” 

“And so, you preferred none to me, but only 
Jesus Christ?” 

“ None. I should be unworthy of you if it 
were otherwise.” 

“Well, said Tigranes, “I am happy to know this 
from yourself. And now, since you have opened 
your heart to me, I shall be as honest towards 
you. But first, tell me, do you still feel the same 
vocation ? ” 

“Indeed,” said Theda, hesitatingly, “I cannot 
say; I know not what I should say. I cannot 
think of it now, for but a few moments ago I gave 
you my hand before God’s holy altar, and swore' 
to be faithful to you forever.” 


Fifty Years Later. 365 

“ But what if you knew that God has sent into 
my heart a longing to wear the same crown ?’’ 

“ Tigranes !” cried Theda, breathless with sur- 
prise and hope, is it possible that the same desire 
burns in your own heart ?’^ 

Theda,” said Tigranes, his face beaming with a 
heavenly light, let us do a thing which will be 
beautiful in the sight of heaven. I know that 
many others have done, and still do it in Rome, in 
Alexandria, and the other Christian churches. Let 
us keep our plighted troth, and yet wear that 
crown of Christ’s chosen spouses. And that one 
of us who reaches heaven first, will await and greet 
the other there. This place is consecrated by the 
memory of Jacob and Rachel, and we have been 
sanctified by the sacrament received to-day. I 
place in your hands that crown you have so 
ardently desired, and which I also long to wear. 
God alone is great; great is His kingdom and the 
love which time does not change. And now” — 

“Tigranes,” cried Theda, “you have been to 
me as an angel sent from God. It is the Holy 
Ghost who speaks in you now; yes, I will be your 
bride forever. We will love each other on earth 
and in heaven, as angels love, as Valerian and 
Cecilia loved, forever, forever !” 

That was truly a day of joy for Tigranes and 
Theda, a day of deep and tranquil joy, a foretaste 
of heavenly joy, which is breathed by the Holy 
Spirit into great and generous hearts that have 
overcome the world; an unspeakable joy which 


366 Tigra7ies. 

the world cannot know, nor imagine, nor believe 
— yet it is renewed and felt every day within the 
Church of God. Tigranes and Theda understood 
it well, and enjoyed it all their lives long, and the 
last blessing of Vitus was realized: ‘‘Go in peace; 
I know that you will be happy.'^^ 

Fifty years had passed away. Jovian Augustus 
had died, after a reign of a few months; other 
emperors had passed away amid glories, misfor- 
tunes, or crimes; the temple of Diana, at. Carrhae, 
was in ruins, its priests dispersed; Rome herself, 
stricken by the wrath of God, was in the hands of 
her enemies. But the peaceful solitude of Ibora, 
the home of the virgins consecrated to God, 
founded and blest by the hand of the great Basil, 
still flourished, protected by its very loneliness, 
and by the neglect of men. 

One autumn evening, towards the hour of sun- 
set, an aged pilgrim knocked with his staff at the 
gate of the monastery. The portress who an- 
swered his call, bowed on beholding his bent and 
venerable form, and asked : “ What do you seek, 
brother?” 

“ Hospitality for the night,” replied the aged 
monk. 

“ Pardon, brother; the resting-place for travellers 
is yonder, beyond that little stream.” 

The old man looked towards the stream, and 
then towards the setting sun, and said feebly: “It 
is too late; I am old, and weak, and hungry, and 


Fifty Years Later. 367 

cannot walk further;” and he leaned against the 
gate to support his tottering frame. Sister, give 
me but a morsel of bread and a cup of water, and 
let me rest here in the vestibule. You would not 
leave me exposed to the chilly night air?” 

The portress bade the old man be seated until 
she could see the Superioress. She soon returned, 
bringing some bread and wine, of which the pil- 
grim partook slightly. Then turning to the por- 
tress he said : 

“ Sister, I feel that I have not many hours to 
live; ask the Superioress to come to me, for she 
must close my eyes.” 

The good sister, thinking that age and weariness 
were working on the mind of the old man, smiled 
at his words, but said kindly: 

“ The Superioress is occupied at present; but to- 
morrow morning you shall see her. Meanwhile 
rest in peace.” And she pointed to a couch which 
had been placed in the vestibule during their con- 
versation. 

‘‘Well,” said the pilgrim, “To-morrow.” 

On the following morning, after the celebration 
of the Divine Office, an aged nun came to the 
door, leaning upon the arm of a younger sister : 
“ Brother,” said she kindly, “ I am she whom these 
virgins call their mother. What can I do for 
you?” 

“The old man turned his eyes slowly towards 
her, but seemed too weak to answer. The Supe- 
rioress asked him again : 


368 


Tigranes. 

‘‘Brother, whence do you come?** 

“From very, very far,’* answered the pilgrim 
slowly, “to bid you farewell, and then to die.’* 
These last words were uttered in a tone so weak 
and indistinct, that the Mother knelt beside the 
couch to catch what he might have to say. But 
the old man was silent for a moment, then making 
the sign of the cross upon his breast, and raising 
his dying eyes to heaven, he muttered in faltering 
accents : “ The bridal-chamber of the Lamb — 
virgin’s crown — a new canticle — with Jesus — Holy 
Mary — I await Theda” — 

“ Tigranes !” exclaimed the aged nun with deep 
emotion, “Yes, I am Theda! Angel sent to me 
from God ! Await me there ; I shall soon come !’* 
She seized the hand of the old man and pressed it 
to her lips. It was cold in death ; and Tigranes 
could not hear her words, unless from heaven. 
She closed his eyes, and with tears and prayers 
saw him lowered into the grave. 

Tigranes had not long to wait; for a few days 
later, Theda was resting beside him in the tomb. 



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Translated from the French, by the Ladies of the Sacred Ilearl. Witl. 
the approbation of tne Right Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia. 1 vol. 


r2mo., neatly bound in cloth. 

Price — In cloth $1.50 

In cloth, gilt edge 2.00 


Ijifc of St. Margaret of Cortona. 

Translated from the Italian, by John Gilmary Shea, and published with 
the approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia. 1 vol. 16mo., 
neatly bound in cloth, gilt backs. 

Price $1.00 

lie Life of St. Angela Meraci of Brescia, 
Foiaaadress of tlic Order of St. UrsaEa. 

By the Abbe Parenty. 

With a History of the Order in Ireland, Canada and the United States, 
by John Gilmary Shea. Published with tho apiirubation of the R%giU 
Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia. 1 vol. 16mo., cloth, gilt back. 

Price f 1.00 



Fife of Blessed 

(le Parades y Flores. 


?rtary Ann of Jesus, 

“The Lily of Quito.'' 


Py Father Joseph Boero, S. J. 


Translated from the Italian by a Father of the Society of Jesus, and nub. 
lished with the approbation of the Right Ri o. Bishop of Philad^Uphitt, 
1 vol. Ibmo., neatly bound in cloth, gilt back. 

Prica Ii.oo 


he Life of SI. Bose of Liiua. 

Edited by the Rev Frederick William Faber, D D., and puUish ed with 
tho approbation o the Right Rev Bish'^p Ph Jaddphiu. 1 vol., Lsrg® 
16mo , neatly bound in clot j, gilt back. 

Price— <iuiy li.oo 


23 Soiitli Tontli Street, Philaielphia. 


7 


T he ILife of St. CecIBia, 

Vlrgm and il2artyi*. 

Translated frcm the French of Father Gueranger, and published /»itb .t»l 


approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop of Philadeiphia. 

1 \o.. 12mo. 

Price — In cloth 71 

In cloth, gilt edge - 


The above is one of the most interesting works which has been i'^sued tor dome 
time from the Catholic press in this country. The life ana martyrduin oi t aiut 
Cecilia, is itself, one of the nn^ btauviful chapters in the his.ory of ti;e Ciiurcn. 
The accwuut of it by Guerang^is most touching. It combines all ihe spngiit- 
liness uf romance, with tne solid truth of history. The author is one of liie 
most learned ai chaeologists that has appeared in this century, and is we.i kn.»\\ s 
for many iearnea works. In connection with the life of tsc. Ceciiia, he gj\e8 k 
graphic account of the state of the Churen at the time of the per.secntions i luiei 
the Homan Emperors. There is a beautiful description of the catacombs and of 
the usages of the Christains in paying honor to the martyrs. In reading liis woi I 
we seem to be transferred to tneir days. The character of St. Ceciiia is drawn 
out in the most vivid colors, though the account is almost entirely taken f »'ib 
the ancient Acts, the authenticity of which is abiy vindicated by tho learnoC 
author. He then gives an account of the Church, built at her own reepaest ot 
tlie spot wnere she suffered. This goes over a period of over sixteen liundi tC 
years. It has been, du ring all that time, one of the most clearly cher.shed panctu- 
ai ies of Rome. The inciaental accounts of various matters connected wiin the 
history of the Saint and her Church, are themselves suffleient to give great inter- 
est to the volume, we hardly know which to admire most in this w ork — lue 
information imparted on many most imeresting topics, the healthy tone of tiie 
work, so well calculated to enliven faith, and cherish a devout S|.i! it, or tlie 
beauty of the style of the author who nas weaved the whole into s > interesting 
a narrative, that no romance can vie with this trftthful account of the paironeas 
of song . — Baltimore Catholic Mii^ror. . 

We are glad to see that the American public have been favored wirh this very 
interesting work. While the name of the author is a guarantee for hi.>tori iil 
accuracy, and learned research, the period of which it treats is one of great in- 
terest to the Catholic. In these pages one can learn the manners and customs f 
the early Christians, ana their sufferings, and gain no iittle insight into their 
daily life. The devotion to the Saints is becoming daily more practical, and w e 
are glao to see revived the memory of the ancient heroes and heioines w horn tne 
Church has honored in a special manner. The mechanical execution of the 
American edition is very good . — Catholic Standard. 

We cannot sufficiently admire and commend to the attention of our readers, 
young and old, this delightful work. The tenderness and exquisite relinemeul 
and purity wnich surround, like a veil, the character of tne lovely St. Lecilia, 
■erve to throw ii.to stronger relief the unfaltering courage by which she w on tno 
crown of martyrdom. 'Ihe author has made use of ali the authentic and import- 
ant detai.'s connected with the life ana death of the Sainr, folio w'ing the uio^t 
approved authorities. The disco\ enes of her tomb in the ninth and sixteenth 
centuries form not the least interesting portion of the work, and the desci iplLuu 
of the churen, wiiich was once ner dw^eliing and the witness of her sufferings and 
triumphs, brings those scenes so vividly before us that Cecilia seem.> to belong 
as much to our own day as to tke period wheh youpg, beautiful, wealthy and 
accomplished, the virg.n bride of the nobk* Valeriaa laid down her liie fur '.ha 
martyr’s err wn of fa ill — A V. Tablet. 


8 


Published bj Peter F. Cuaningham, 


Mi* Cunningham, of Philadelphia, has earned a new claim on our gratitv ie n« 
pubiisniug the Cii’E OP' SAiiVT CECILIA, VIKGIN AND iVlAKIVU. Ih* 
Acts of her martyrdom are a monument of the wonderful ways of God, and 9 taoat 
Bweet record oi Cnristian heroism, heavenly love, and prodigious ct'DSwincy. 
Her ver.y name has inspired Christianity for iifteen centuries, with courag-^, and 
the noblest aspirations. The work is a translation from the P'rench of /^ro.vr*er 
granger. We have had only time to read the title, preface, and a few pagei 
beitire going to press. But we can say this much, that it was a very nappf 
thought to undertake this translation, and we know of no other book shouia 
like to see in tne hands of Catholics so much as the LIP'E OP’ SAINT CllCiLl A 
VIRGIN AND MARTYR.— i>Won PiYoL 

Mr. Peter P'. Cunningham has just brought out, in very a -mirab.e stylo, the 
• Life of St. Ceciiia,” liom the E.enchof the celebrated iruiii, Gucian*g*^.r. It 
h difficult to film a more delightful volume than this, iti s.ibjici is cv e of 
llu* most attractive in ail the anuals of the Church; and i:s au lior one i I the 
most pious and gifted of modern P'rench writers : the result is one of the most 
charming contributions ever made to Catholic literature. As inlimatec the 
publisher has done nis part in printing, in paper, and in biud.ng. Vt e n turn 
him thanks for a copy. — PhiLadelpuia Univer-sey Oct. 6. 

This is a most interesting volume, truer than history and stranger than lic- 
tion. The author does not oonfine himself to tlie detai.s of the iSaint’s life and 
martyrdom, but describes, with the faithfulness and minuteness of an antiquarj*, 
the wonders of Imperial and Christian Rome--the catacombs, the basilicas, ihe 
manners of the times, the persecutions of the Christians, etc. The book is 
handsomely got up, and enriched wiih a portrait of fct. Cecilia seated at her 
harp. — N. Y. Met Record. 

We have received this beautiful and very interesting life of one of the most 
beautiful Saints of the Church Tne reading public ought to be much obliged 
to the Publisher for giving them such a work. It abounds in the sublimest 
sentiments of divine love and human devotion, such as Catholics w ould expect 
from the life of such a Saint ; and at the same time portrays the combat of rising 
Christianity and decaying paganism in the livelist colors. Such works as thii 
form the proper staple of reading for all who desire to become acquainted with 
the period to which it refers, ann who cannot afford to purchase dr peruse the 
more profound works of our Historians. — IFcstern N. Y. Catholic. 

The name of the learned and religious Abbot of Solesmes Dorn. Guerangcr, 
was long since maoe familiar and pleasant to us, in the pages of Chevalier 
Bonnetty’s learned periodical, the Annales de Philosophic ChTetleiine-y pub- 
lished in Paris. In the pages of his “ Life of St. Cecilia” — which we have not 
met with in the French, — we have the same high talent devoted to other than 
liturgic themes. This is an admirable volume, well translated. 'Ihe quiet 
style in which the story is told of the great honor with whict Catholic ages 
have crowned St. Cecilia, is charming. — N. Y. FreemaiFs Journal. 


ife of St. Agnes of Rome, Virgin and Martj r. 



Published with the approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia. 
1 vol. 18mo., neatly bound in cloth, with a beautiful steel plate Poj^ 
trait of the “Youthful Martyr of Rome.” 

Prioe 50 eent^ 

.an’s Contract witli God in Baptism. 


Translated fr'm the French by Rev. J. M. Cullen. 1 vol., ISbco. 

Price 50 oestA 


Published by Peter F. OunninghaiQ, 


9 


Lilfc of Sf. Aloj'saHS €!o£Bsaga, 

©f the Socaely ofJesais, 

Edited by Edward tlealy Thomppon. Published with the approbation of thi 
Ri. Rev. Bishop oj Philadelphia. 1 vol., 12ino., neat cloth, beveled, $1.50 
Cloth, Gilt, $2.00. 

This is the best life of the Saint yet published in Ui d English lacgnage 
and should be read by both the young and old. 

he liife of St. Stanislas Kostka of the Society 
of Jesns. 

By Edward Healy Thompson, A.M. 

Published with the approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia 


1vol. 12ino. Clotli extra beveled $150 

Cloth full edges $2.(j0 


T he l>ife of Blessed John Berchmans 
of the Society of Jesns. 

Translated from the French. With an appendix, giving an account of 
the miracles after death, which have been approved by the Holy See. 
From the Italian of Father Borgo, S. J. Published with the approbatiou 
of the Right Rev. Bishop of Philwielphia. 1 vol. 12mo. 


Price— In cloth $1.50 

In cloth, gilt edge 2.00 


The Society of Jesus, laboring in all things for the “ Greater glory of God,” 
has accomplished, if not more, as much, towards that pious object, as ever did 
any Institution of our holy religion. Actuated by that sublime and single 
motive, it has given the world as brilliant scholars, historians and men of 
science in all departments, as have ever yet adorned its annals. Nor is this by 
any means its greatest boast ; it is what has been achitved by the Society in the 
advancement of Catholicity and sanctity, that makes the brightest gem in its 
coronet. It is in that, that it is most precious in the sight of the angels of God ; 
it is for that its children will sing with them a new canticle on high. It has 
peopled heaven with a host of sainted choi’isteis, many of them endowed with 
a world-wide fame for sanctity, and many, like Blessed Berchmans 'mown to 
but few beyond the pale of her order. This saintly youth, like Si. Aloysiat 
and St. Stanislaus, died young, but a model of that true wisdom which never 
loses sight of the end for which man is created. The work before us beauti* 
fully describes the virtues, aud the exemplary life and practices of this pious 
youths and is richly entitled to a place in every Catholic library.— 
llirror. 

Mr. P. F. Cunningham, of Philadelphia, may well rejoice, in his Cathjlr<» 
heart, for having given us this work, the perusal of which m ist needs be t!ia 
source of immense good. No better work can bo placed in the hands of ilo- 
liglous novices Perhaps no other book has fired those privileged souls w’th. 
more ferv 1 aspirations towards attaining tho perfection proper of their reli- 
gious prott?ssioas. A perfect pattern is placed before them, aci whilst th« 
r*«rt s drawn towards it with admiring love, the reader ©annt t allege any 
honest c?nse whereby to excuse himself from following the noble exani])U 
placed before him. Blessed Berchmans teaches, by his own life, tnat perfec- 
tion is to be attained n the fa tlifnl and conscientious discharge of the duties of 
one’i daily life, whatever its circumstances may be. An excellent, most ex- 
•elVeat ^ook this will also prove for sodalists ^liostun Pilot. 


10 Published by Peter Fi Cmuingham, 


he Sign of the Cross in the Nineteenth Century. 

Ey Mgr. Gaume, Prothonotary Apostolic. 

'' ith the Brief of his Holiness Pope Pius IX. Translated from the French 
A of St. Joseph. Published with the approbation of the Right Rev, 


Bishup of Philadelphia. 

1 vol, 12ino. Cloth. 


Extra beveled. Price Sl.50 

Gilt edge $2.00 


f g ' 

8 he Life of St. Augustine, Bishop, Confessor, and 
Doctor of the Church. 

By P. E. Moriarty, D.D., Ex-Assistant General, O. S. A. 
Publislied with the approbation of the Right Rev. Bisliop of i^hiladel- 


piiia. 1 vol. 12mo. 

Cloih, extra beveled, and gilt centre 59 

Cloih, gilt edge 00 


rfi 

1 iae Life of St. Charles Oorroiineo. 

By Edward Healey Thompson. 

Pill li shed with the approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop of 
Philadelphia. 1 vol. 12mo. 


Cloth, extra beveled $1 50 

“ •* gilt edge 2 CC 


^3^ lie So<Ialist'§ Friesad. A Collec- 

tiosa of Meditalioiis aiid Prayers. 


C'lmpiled and translated from approved sources, for the use of memberi 
aud leaders of confraternities. 1 vol. ISmo., neatly bound. 


Price — In cloth,. 80 cents. 

Roan embossed ^1.00 

Embossed gilt 1.50 

Full gilt edges and sides 2.00 

Turkey, superior extra 3.00 


fi. he MoaitEi of tlic Sacred Heart. 

Arranged for each day of the month of June Containing also the Arch 
Confraternity of Sacred Heart, and Father Borgo’s Novena to the Sacred 
Heart of Jesus. With the appiobation of tho Right Rev. Bishop cj 
Philadel'jhia. 1 neat ^ol. 24m'- Cloth, gilt back. 

1 


,5^^ eeaU 


23 South Tenth Street, Philadelphia. 


11 


T he HIOEitSi of SI. .Fosep!a. 

Arranged for each day of the month of Marcli, Frcra the French of th« 
Roy. Father Heguet, of the “Society of St. Mary.” • PnbUshed with th% 
approbation of the Right Rev. Bishop of Philac^lphia. 1 neat Yol. 
ISiuo. Cloth, gilt back. 

Price 50 cents. 

An attontive i>ernsal < f this little work will prove, with a sincere utterance of 
tLd prayers contained therein, a powerful means to reform one’s life. Let U9 
secure the friendship and intercession of St. Joseph. He is the foster-father of 
oar Saviour, lie can say a good word for us, indeed. 0, the oeauty of Catholic 
devoiions! hi>w its practices, when in direct connection with the life and teach- 
ings of Jesus Ciirist, fill the soul with happiness aud hope! — Boston Pilot. 

This will be found to be an interesting book to all the children of Mary, and 
the lovers of her pure, saintly, and glorious spouse, Sr. Joseph. It a good 
eompauion to the lovely “Month of May.” — New York Tablet. 

^ Eae LaltSe Otilces. 

Translated from the French by tlie Ladies of the Sacred Heart. Contain- 
ing the Little Offices of tho Sacred Heart, Holy Ghost, Immaculate Con- 
ception, Our Lady of Seven Dolours, Most Holy Heart of Mary, Holy 
Angel Guardian, St Joseph. St. Louis de Gonxaga, St. Stanislaus, St. 
Jude, Apostle. To which is added a Devout Method of Hearing Mass. 
Published with the approbation of the Right Reo. Bishop of Philadelphia. 
1 vol. ISino. Neatly bound. 

Price 50 cents. 

T gje ESevated to Perfection, 

by tSie Exereai^es of an Isaterior L.ife.- 

From the French of tho Abbe Baudrand, author of “The Elevation of 
Soul ” 1 vol. ISiJio. 

Price 60 cents. 

B_J:i r?3erc dc 

A beautiful and very edifying work on the Glories and Virtues of the 
Blessed \'irgiu JIary, M ither of God ; fron. the Italian of Father Aljthoase 
Capecclairo, of the Oratory of Naple.s, with an Introductory Letter of 
Father Gratry, of the I'aris Oratory. Published with the approbation of 
i\\e Right Rf^^v. Bishop of Philadelphia. 1 neat vol. 18mo. Cloth. 

Price 50 cents. 

T fac Roman Catacombs 5 or, Some acconni 
of tEie Rnrial Places of tiae Early Ctaiis- 
iians In Roane. 

By Rev. .T. Spencer Northeuate, M. A , wi'h Maps and various Illustra- 
tious. Published with the approbation of the Rigid Rev Bishop nf Phi la> 
deljihia. 

I Vol., 16mo., neatly bound in cloth gil back. 

PriPe jl.00 


Published b)/ Peter F. Cunningham, 

J Jeders A«1drcssed to a Protestant Friend. 

r>y a Catliolic Priest. With a Preface by the Right Rev. Bishop B 0 <&i<er. 
1 vol. I'-iiio. Cloth extra beveled 11.1^ 



and TrntSi^ or, Caltaolics not wn- 
cSiaritaMe in saying tliat JVonc are 
Saved ont of tiie Catliolic Clinrcli. 


By the Kev. Edward Hawarden. 


Published with the approbation of i\iQ Right Rev. Bishop of Philadelphia, 
k Tol. 12mo. 

Prioe — Neatly bound in cloth $1.25 


Ip this hook, the learned and earnest author discusses a question of vital im- 
portance to all, viz.: Is there salvation out of the Catholic Communion? At 
the present moment, when the strongest proof of Christianity, in the popular 
opinion, is a belief that every road leads to heaven, and that every man who 
lives a moral life is sure to be saved, the very title of this book will grate 
harslily on many ears. To such we Wjuld say— Read the work, and learn that 
“ a charitable judgment maybe very unfavorable, and a favorable judgment 
may be very uncharitable” “Charity and Truth” is the work of one "of the 
ablest controversialists and most learned theologians of the Catholic Church in 
England. The method adopted in “Charity and Truth” is the catechetical, and 
to jielp the memory the questions are fet in large characters at the top tf eatii 
page. In the preface, the Reverend reviewer takes up and disposes of six 
vulgar errors, — 1st, That it is charity to suppose all men saved whoso life is 
morally honest. 2d. That the infinite goodness of God will not suffer the 
greater part of mankind to perish. 3d. That it is charity to believe the Jews 
and Turks arc saved. 4th. That if I judge more favorably of the salvation of 
another man than he does of mine, I am the more charitable of the two. 5th. 
That, setting all other considerations apart, if Protestants judge more favor- 
ably of the salvation of Catholics than Catholics do of theirs, Protestants are 
on the more charitable side. 6th. That he is uncharitable whoever supposes 
that none are saved in any other religion unless they are excused by invinci- 
ble ignorance. - Met Record. 

We owe Mr. Cunningham an apology for not having noticed this work ere 
this ; and we should have done it more readily, as we hail with utmost pleasure 
the rcpublication of one of those works written by the uncompromising cham- 
pions of the Ciiurch during the hottest days of persecution and Catholic disa- 
bilities in England. We have often wished th.at some of the learned professors 
of the illustrious College of Georgetown would select from among the numerous 
collection they have of books written by English missionaries during the first 
two centuries of persecution in England, some such work as “ Charity and 
Truth,” and republish them in this country. These works will not please, of 
Course, our milk and water Catholics. But, after all, they are the real kind of 
works we need. It is high time that we should take the aggressive. We have 
put up long enough wiih Protestant attacks. We owe nothing to Protestants. 
We have allowed them to say all kind of things to us. We have received with 
thanks the benign condescension with which they grant us the merit of there 
being some good people among the Catholics, and that some bishops and priests 
are clever, in spite of their being Catholics. We have bowed so low as to kiss 
the right hand that has patted us on the head, wh le the left was lifting its 
thumb to tlio nose of the smiling but double-hearted ca’esser. It is high time, we 
•ay, that we should do away with this sycophancy. It is high time that war 
was carried to the heart of the enemy’s country. Hence we are thankful to the 
American editor o' this work. Let Catholics buy it, read it, and then give 14 
lor their Protestau* acQ'.'iiutances.— Pilot. 


CATHOT.IC TAI.ES 


Cecil Blair. 

War. 

1 vol. 12mo. 


A Tale of tlie Soulli Before I he 


By Faniiie Warner. 

Cloth extra beveled ?’.'»<■) 

Cloih gilt edge 


A Catholic Tale of great merit 1 volume U'mo. 

Price — Cl .>tl), extra beveled H 50 

^ Cloth, gilt edges ; “ 2 00 

1 he ITlontari^es f^egacy. 

A Charming Catholic Tale, by Florence AJeCoomb, (Miss Meline, of Washiuff’ 
tMi,) 1 volume, small 12me. * 

Price-Cloth, extia beveled 4], 00 

Cloth, gilt .1.26 


G 


race Morton 3 or, The fiiihei itanee* 


A new and beautiful Catholic tale, written by Miss Meaney of Philadelphia. 

1 vol., large 18mo., neatly bound in cloth. 

Price Si.oo 

This is a pleasing story, instructive as well as amusing, and worth an espe^ 
cial place in the library of youthful Catholics. It depicts with rare skill the 
trials and sacrifices which attend the profession of the true Faith, and which 
are so often exacted of us by the fostering solicitude of our Mother the Church. 
—CcUholic Mirror. 

A chastely written Catholic tale of American life, which is most pleasantly 
narrated ; and conveys much that is instructive aud elevating . — Irish American. 

A lie Knout; a Tale of Poland. 


Translated from the French by Mrs. J. Sadlier. 

1 vol., large 18mo., neatly bound in cloth, gilt back, with frontispiece. 

Price SI .00 



aura and Anna; 


or, Tlie Effect of Faitli ©a 


tlie Cliaracter. 


A beautiful tale, translated from the French by a young lady, a Graduata 
of St. Joseph’s, Emmittsburg. 

1 vol. 18mo., neatly bound in cloth. 

Price 60 cent® 

Tlie Confessors of Connanglit ; or, Tlie Ten- 


ants of a Cord Bisliop. 

A tale of Evictions in Ireland. By Miss Meaney, author of '* Grace Mor- 
ton.” 

Bmall 12mo., cloth. 

Price S1.00 

Raad this book and you will have a feeling knowledge of the sufferings <il 
ear bretb ren ’n the Isle of Saints . — Boston Pilot. 


14 Published by Peter P. Cunningham, 

THE “YOUNG CATHOLIC’S LIBRARY.” 


BEAUTIFUL CATHOLIC TALES FOR YOUiMG PEOPLE. 


FIRST SERIES. 

6 NEAT 18hio VOLS., CLOTH, EXTRA, 50 CENTS EACH. 

1. Cmttnge Evening Tales ^ for Young People. 

A?. ChUdren of the Valley; or, The Ghost of the Ruins. 

3 iMag Carleton^s Story, and The Miller’s Daughter.' 

4. Vhilip Hartley; or, A Boy’s Trials and Triumphs. 

3. Count Leslie; or, The Triumphs of Filial Piety. 

C. A Eather^s Tales of the French devolution. 


SECOND SERIES. 

6 NEAT 18JIO VOLS., CLOTH, EXTRA, 50 CENTS EACH. 

1, Jtolph Berrien, Tales of the French Revolution. 

2 Silver Orange and Fhillipine. Two charming Tales. 

3. lleUua Butler. A Story of the Rosary. 

4. Charles and FredericU. By Rev. John P. Donnollon. 

5. The Beauforts, A Story of the Alleghanies. 

G. Lauretta and the Fables, A charming little book. 


THIRD SERIES. 

6 NEAT 18mo VOLS.. CLOTH, EXTRA, 50'CENTS EACH. 

1. Conrad and Gertrude, A lovely Swiss Tale. 

A?. Three Fetitions. A Tale of Poland. 

3 Alice; or, The Rose of the Black Forest. 

4. Caroline; or, Selt-Conquest. A Book for Young Girls. 

5. Sfoi’ies of the Commandments. Eight charming Tales. 

G. The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, Seven Tales. 


FOURTH SERIES. 

6 NEAT 18mo VOLS., CLOTH, EXTRA. 50 CENTS EACH 

i Fit nor tTohnston. A Story of great interest. 

2. I'he (Jtteen^s Daughter ; or, the Orphan of La Granja. 

3. Iletly Homer, By Fanny Warner. 

4 The Beverly Family, By Hon. Jos. R. Chandler. 

5. Aunt Fanntfs Fresent; or, Book of Fairy Talea, 

G. Woodland Coatage, and Other Tales. 


15 


23 Soutli Tenth Street, Philadelphia. 
IluWthorndcan ; or, Philip Benton’s Family. 

A Tale of every d.ay life. 

By Mrs. Clara M. Thcmpson, 

Aiiiho)- of ‘ Rer.tnrp ot Moreland,'^ “ C/wpel of St Mary,''* <£e. • 

1 vol. 12riio. Cloth, extra beveled, and gilt centre 

“ “ “ Gilt edges 


Si 50 
2 00 


v'ineas; or, Rome under Nero. 

By J .M. Ville tranche. 


1 TOl. 12mo. Cloth. Extr.a beveled $1 50 

Gilt edge $2.00 


This charming .story of the time of Nero~the burning of Rome under thai 
tyrant, the de.^^ti nction of Jerusalem, and the most cruel persecution of the 
( linsiian.s is of tliat class of beautiful Chri.stian novels, of which Fabiola was 
the first, and is considered one of the best yet written. 


-/^Iphonso; or, the Triumph of Religion. 

1 vol. small 12 mo. neat cloth. Price Sl.tiO 

We have the pleasure to announce another of Mr. Cunningham’s works, AI- 
I'honso, or the Triumph of Religion. It contains everything calculated lo instruct 
sad edify at the same time, and we think it a work that will be read \vi<h 
g-eat pleasure by all our readers. — Spare Ilourp 

The scenes of this book are laid in France, but the moral applies with equal 
force to our own country. The work is intended to show the evil effects of an 
irreligioo.s education, and does so with great force and effect. The tale is from, 
fhe pen of a gifted Irish lady, and well worth reading. Those who are sluggish 
in tneir response to our Most Rev. Archbishop’s recent call in behalf of an In- 
du'^trial School, should take a lesson from this valuable little book. -.-lialtimort 
Catholic Mirror. 

A History of England, 

For The Young. 

Compiled by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, for the use of then 
schools in England, and republished for the use of the Catholic Schools ia 
tae United States. 

1 vol. 12 mo 80 cts 

This is an admirable compendium of English history, deserving a place in al) 
our scnools. It is well arranged for a class book, having genealogical tables, a 
good index, and questions for each chaipte^. —Catholic Mirror. 

This is a most valuable little bonk, giving just sufRcienr information to interest 
and attract the young without wearying thena with superabundance of dates which 
they rarely remember, and dry statistics which they never readunle.'JS compelled 
to do so, (a mo t injudicious process.) while by means of excellent genealogical 
and chronological taules, it furnishes to those disposed to seek it, ample instruc- 
tion and it will most probably inspire in the mind of an intelligent child, the 
widi to read more extended works. We ia.<e pleasure in commenoing thia 
* History of England” to the attention of all those interested in provioing agree- 
^ile means of improvement to children.— A 1 . Ta^et, 


16 


Published by Peter F. Cunningham. 

PRAYER BOOKS. 

FLOWEH GARDEN. 

All admirable small Praj^er Book. Contains Morning and Evcalnj 
Players, Mass Prayers, Ordinary of the Mass, (in Latin and English,) 
Vespers, Forty Hours Devotion, Stations of the Cross, and a. great va» 
riety of otber practical devotions, all together forming the most coni<* 
plete small Prayer Book yet printed. 1 vol., 32mo. 

No. 1, Neat cloth, variety of nice bright colors 90 45 

2, Roan, embossed, gilt edge 0 80 

3, “ “ “ and clasp 1 oo 

4, “ full gilt edges and sides l (X) 

5, “ “ •• ‘ and clasp 1 25 

FLOWER GARDEN, 32mo., fine edition, printed on the finest quality 

of paper, and made up in the neatest and very best manner : 

No. 6, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides, red 

or gilt edges stitf or flexible ?2 60 

7, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides, red 

or gilt edges, Avith clasp 2 75 

8, Turkey, super extra, rims and clasp 4 00 

9, Calf, extra, stiff or flexible, very neat 2 75 

. 10, “ with clasp 3 111) 

11, “ “ rims and clasp 4 

12, Velvet, full ornaments, rims, clasps and ovals... 0 00 


LITTLE FLOWER GARDEN. 


A beautiful miniature Prayer Book. 4Smo. Containing a selection 
of practical devotions, and made up in a vliriety of beautiful slylea 
of binding. 


No. 1, Neat cloth variety of.-plain and bright colors. . .$0 20 

2, lloan, (unbossed, gilt edges. T 0 40 

3, “ full gilt edges and sides 0 5o 

4, tucks, very neat 0 60 

5, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides, red 

or gilt edges 1 .*^0 

6, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides, with 

fine gilt clasp 1 75 

7, Turkey, supCr extra, rims and clasp 2 50 

8, Calf, extra red or gilt edges, very neat 1 75 

9, “ “ “ “ with clasp 2-0 

10, “ “ rims and clasp 3 00 


DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR CATHOLICS. 

An admirable small Prayer Book. 32mo.. with very large type, 
(English,) gooil for the short-sighted, and for all who like to read v ilk 
ease, wiihout the necessity of using glasses. 


No. 1, Neat cloth, variety of nice bright cclors $0 45 

2, Roan, embossed, gilt edge o 80 

3, “ “ . “ and clasp 1 00 

4, “ full gilt edges and sides 1 OC 

5, “ “ “ “ and clasp 1 26 

6, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides, red 

or gill e»iges, stitf or flexible 2 50 

7, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides, red 

or gilt edges, with clasp 2 75 

8, Turkey, super extra rims and clasp 4 00 

9, Calf, extra, stiff’ or flexible, very neat 2 75 

10, “ “ “ with clasp 3 00 

11, “ “ “ rims and clasp 4 60 

12, Velvet, full ornaments, rims, clasps and ovals... 6 


23 South Tenth Street, PhilaJelphia. 17 

MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 

An excellent 82mo. Prayer Book, with illustrations of the Mass. 

So. 1. Neat cloth, a ^^ariety of plain anU hi ight colors. 30 

2, Roan, em hoes id gilt edges 0 CO 

3 , “ ‘ “ and clasp 0 8) 

4, full gilt edges and sides 0 8 ^ 

5, “ ' 4 . 4 4 . and clasp 1 00 

6, Turkey, super extra, full gilt or plain sides 2 ry) 

7, “ “ rims and clasj) 3 0 

8, Calf, extra, stilT or flexible, bound %*ry neat. .. . . J 75 

9, •* “ ‘ and clasp.'. 0 

10, “ rims and clasp 4 00 


DAILY EXERCISE. 

A beautiful miniature Prayer Book. 48mo., with illustrations q* ihs 


Mass. 

No. 1, Neat cloth a variety of choice colors iJiO *'0 

2, Roan, emboss(Ml, g It edge u 4) 

3, “ full gilt edge and sides 050 

4, “ tucks, very neat 0 6> 

5, Turkey, super extra ^ i ro 

t>. •* “ tucks 1 ro 

7, •* rims and clasp .50 

» 8, Calf, extra 1 7) 

9. ‘‘ with clasp 2 t 0 

10, “ rims and clasp 3 00 


The Hymn Book. 

Thi‘ H}/nin-Bo 2 k — 180ih thousand— the inost popular little Hymn 
ever jiublished Contains also, l‘rayers for the Mass, Prayers for Con* 
fession and Communion, and Serving of Muss. 13 cents each, or $10 per 
hundred ; cloth, 20 cents, or .$1 80 per dozen. 

The Gospels. 

- For Sundays and Principal Festn als during the year, together wi^h 
the Four Gospels of the Passion for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. 
1 A ol. 2ino. Paper cover i./ cLs , or per dozen, $. <0 

Confirmation and Communion Certificates. 

The Buhscriher has had pi’epared very beautiful certificates of Cciytr- 
motion an! First Communio/i giving silso exterior and inlei lor views 
of the Cathedral of Philadei])hia. These are the most beautiful certifi- 
cates ever published in this country, and are sold at low rales to the 
Reveren 1 Clergy and others who buy iii quantity. $ 00 per hundred 

Angels’ Sodality. 

Manual of the Holy Angels Sodality. Price, in cloth, flexible $IJ oO 
per hundred, or $1 •' 0 per dozen 

Diplomas for Membership of the Angels' Sodality. Beautiful design 
$1 0 > per dozen 

Blessed Virgin’s Sodality Diploma. 

A Very B-autiful Diploma for Members of the i'odality of the Bletned 
Virgin Mary, size of plate 1.x u. has just been i)rei)ared by the um-ur- 
signed Orders respectfully solicited. The name of the Church and 
title of the Sodality inserted to ord. r. 

Catechisms. 

Butlers large and small Catechisms. The general Catechism of the 
National Council. Tul)erville s Catechism, Dr. Hoyle’s Catechisms, 
Fleury 8 Catechism and The Catholic Christian Instructed Supplied 
Wholesale and Retail. And many other Catholic Doctrinal Works. 

Orders respectfully solicited. 

PETER F. CUNNINGHAM & SON, 

Publishers 29 5. T&nifi St^ PkitsL 




18 ' Published by Peter F. Cunningham, 

on the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

By the Abb6 Edward Barthe. Published with tiie approbatu/n of tt»«i 

Rlrr'lf l?ni- Hicri/-wr-v f) 1 . a « 1 U .. 1 .,.1 


Clotli, extra beveled $l ra 

Cloth, gilt 2 00 



MESSENGER SERIES. 

[Attention is respectfully called to this series of beautiful works, originally 
prepared for tlie Messenger of the Sarred Heart, and now ofFt-red to th“ piddic 
in handsome 12mo vols. We recommend every Catliolic lamily to procure 
the “ Messenger Series.”] 


1. Leandro ; or, The Sign of the Cross. 

A beautiful Catholic Tale. 1 vol.. 12ino, 

Cloth, extra beveled fl 50 

Clotli, gilt 2 OC 

2. Simon Peter and Simon Magus. 

A Legend of the early days of Cluiistianity in Rome. By Rev. John 
Joseph Franco, S. J. *1 vol., 12mo. 

Cloth, extra beveled 1 $1 50 

Cloth, gilt - )0 

3. The Acts of the Early Martyrs. 

By the Rev. J. A. M. Fastrd, S. J. First series. 1 vol., 12mo. 

Cloth, extra beveled 59 

Cloth* gilt***************************************************** ••••••••••••»•••••••••• ^ 00 

4. T. he Acts of the Early Martyrs. 

By the Rev. J. A M. Fastre, S. J. Second Series, ♦ vol., 12mo. 

Cloth, extra beveled $l 50 

Cloth, gilt •••••••••••••••••• »••••«••* ••••••••« ••*•«••••*••••••••••••••••••••••••«« 2 00 

6. The Acts of the Early Martyrs. 

By the Rev. J. A. M. Fastre, Third Series. 1 vol., 12mo. 

.Cloth, extra beveled .$l 60 

Cloth, gilt • ••••••• . •• *•••••••• ••••••••• ••••••••• 2 00 


M 


D 


arion Howard; or, Trials and Triumphs. 

1 vol. 12mo. Cloth, extra beveled 

Cloth, gilt edge 




.12 00 
2 60 


ivine Life of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Being an abridgment of the “ Mystical City or God.** 
Sy Ven. Mary of Jesus of Agreda. 
i vol. 12mo. Cloth, extra beveled.... 


Cloth, gill 


6 ^' 






2 60 





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